


Stone Cold and Fire Bright

by inkncoffee



Series: Percy Jackson and the Fairy Tale Collection [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Proud Character, Unresolved Romantic Tension, fairy tale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:12:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4776602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkncoffee/pseuds/inkncoffee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A heavy curse lays on Mykene Castle and its occupants. They say a stone-hearted monster roams its empty halls, cold and unfeeling. Percy really wishes someone would've warned him before he went trespassing (although, to be fair, he did knock. The whole 'you're now my prisoner' thing is way overkill.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dungeon

Montauk was a village in the innermost reaches of its country. It was neither small nor large; respectable but not noteworthy. Quaint. But everybody knew that something strange was afoot in the mountains and forests that surrounded Montauk, whispers of both friend and foe in the mist that swirled beyond. Strange things often occurred at Montauk. The strangest of all, it is said, was the unfortunate fate of the Mykene Castle and the occupants there within.

This is not their tale however, despite what history may say, but rather His. It is His Story, as much as it is Her Lesson, and Their Fate. A lingering song of hope and sorrow, strength and grief, hubris and love, embodied by the stone statue perfectly preserved in the west wing of Mykene Castle. And it begins, and ends, with Perseus Jackson.

Perseus, ‘please call me Percy’, Jackson moved to Montauk when he was twenty one years of age, and he took Montauk by storm. In the short time he lived there, the people of Montauk concluded two things: he was handsome and he was odd.

The first was indisputable. Percy Jackson was by far the most handsome creature that ever stepped foot inside Montauk. His hair was black as night, and its disheveled nature endeared his admirers despite common prudency. He stood above most of his companions, tall enough that he had to look down to converse with them more often than not, but he did not tower excessively so. A respectable height, many declared. His skin was kissed to perfection by the sun, from a hard life laboring under its unforgiving gaze. The physical life added to his physique, well defined muscles clearly visible through the bare boned threads that wove together to create his worn attire. His smile was a rather lopsided, an aspect his opponents were quick to point out, yet it seemed to add a certain charm to his person. His best feature, however, was not his hair nor his height nor any of the above mentioned delights, but rather his eyes.

His eyes were green as the sea on a stormy night. They shone brightly in his tan face, wide and open to all who gazed upon him. They sparkled when he laughed, darkened when he brooded, ever changing and swirling like the waves out at sea.

Despite his aesthetic appeal, people could not deny the second indisputable fact about their local beauty: Percy Jackson was _odd._

He was not very good at, well, anything at all it would seem. He jumped from trade to trade, apprenticeship to apprenticeship, in a never ending search for a steady job. He spent his first few weeks at the baker’s, but his bread refused to rise and he nearly burnt the place down. Next, he tried to assist the local clerk, but he could not learn his letters. The clerk declared him hopeless and Percy was back to searching. He never quit trying, even as he failed time and time again. His last stop was the blacksmith’s. He could not craft the beautiful metal like that of his master, but he could tend to the lesser duties just fine. He would never be a blacksmith though.

His oddities did not end there. The young Mister Jackson had a peculiar ability to...not notice things. After prolonged consideration the people of Montauk came to the conclusion that Percy was neither ignorant nor rude, but rather simply oblivious to social cues. Many fair young ladies would drop hints of courtship only to have their affections misunderstood; or a disgruntled fellow leveled a veiled insult that was mistakenly taken as a compliment. An unfortunate character flaw - one that caused a lot of heartbreak and frustration in the village of Montauk.

Now poor Percy was utterly oblivious to the villagers’ constant scrutiny of his person (another regrettable side effect of his social oddities). No, Percy was only concerned with one thing: his mother, dear Sally Jackson, who had fallen ill. While other men his age were coming into themselves and courting, Percy took his weekly sums home to tend to his sickly mother.

“Ma?” Percy called as he peeked his head around the corner of her room.

“Percy dear,” came the soft reply.

Sally Jackson laid in bed, a blanket tucked securely around her from the night before. Her eyes lacked the brightness and light they held when he was a child, but she refused to let her illness steal her spirit, even as it stole her body.

“I’m off to work,” Percy told her softly, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cool forehead.

“Try not to burn anything down dear,” she teased him lightly.

“I’ll do my best,” Percy promised sheepishly. He honestly had not meant to set the bakery on fire. It just sort of…happened. Like most things in his life.

“Be careful,” she bid him as he ducked out of her room.

“I will,” he promised.

They were too poor for horses or carts or anything like that, so Percy had to start off in the early morning in order to get to work on time. He was just closing the gate behind him when an odious voice stopped him.

“Boy!”

Percy’s eye twitched as he turned to survey the man who called out to him. Standing before him, lumbering unevenly in a rare bout of exertion, was Gabe Ugliano. His mother’s husband. Gabe, in Percy’s humble and modest opinion, was the worst sort of person. He drank to excess, gambled away the money Sally needed for her medication, saw himself as too important (read: lazy) for work, and leeched off of Percy’s hard earned money. Percy hated him. Sally Jackson deserved to be married to a _king_. Instead she was stuck with this monstrosity.

“Gabe.”

Gabe fixed his beady eyes on his step-son. “You off to work now?”

“Yes, unlike some people,” Percy ground out.

Gabe’s eye twitched as he absently scratched his stomach, obviously trying to figure out if he had been insulted or not. His tiny brain could not seem to draw any conclusion so he ignored Percy’s statement.

“Good,” Gabe grunted, nodding his near bald head, “you need to buy that medicine this week?”

“We need to buy it every week,” Percy reminded him through clenched teeth.

 Sally was doing better. She could stand for short periods of time and yesterday, when Percy returned from work, she actually had dinner made. But her strength was fleeting and the medicine was vital to her continued health. So, yes, every week.  

“Expensive,” Gabe muttered to himself, turning away.

Percy made a face at his back. Childish perhaps, but effective in boosting his moral all the same. Percy determinedly put his step-father out of his mind as he set down the path to Montauk. The smithy Percy worked at was in the heart of town and he slipped in the back just as the sun began to rise.

Hephaestus was already stroking the fires. Hephaestus was a large man, built to excess with dark skin and a rather surly manner. But he was a fair boss, and oddly kind to Percy despite his demeanor. Kinder than any of his previous employers anyway. Percy nodded his greeting at the talented blacksmith before getting to work. Percy did all the little mundane things, like keeping the fires going, polishing the finished works, while Hephaestus did the heavy lifting.

Work passed peacefully, as it was wont to do at Hephaestus’ smithy.   As the day wound down Hephaestus briefly left the shop to run an errand and Percy cheerfully held down the fort.

"Oh, hello Percy. Is the Master Hephaestus out?"

Percy looked up from where he was polishing a sword to find a familiar, although not entirely wanted, figure standing in the doorway. Medusa Gorgon smiled down at him, her teeth bared against her painted lips. It was almost frightening actually. She looked impeccable as always. Her dark hair coiled in tight ringlets around her head, her olive skin smooth and dark eyes gleaming as she flashed that terrifying smile at him. Medusa's father was Baron Gorgon and Medusa walked the streets like she owned them. Which she practically did. One wrong move and she would run home to the baron and that would not end well for anyone.

“Hello Miss Gorgon,” Percy greeted politely. “The master is out.”

“Good. I wanted to speak with you alone,” Medusa declared boldly.

“Oh,” Percy said, surprised. He had no idea why Medusa would want to speak with him alone.

“Yes, I –” Medusa cut off sharply as the smithy door opened and Hephaestus lumbered back in.

“Oh, Miss Medusa,” Hephaestus grunted as he stared at the baron’s daughter in obvious surprise.

Medusa wrinkled her nose primly, eyeing Hephaestus distastefully. Percy felt his hackles rise at her obvious disdain for the blacksmith. There was nothing wrong with Hephaestus. Sure, he was not the handsomest man in the world, and he was crippled, but he was a phenomenal blacksmith and a good person.

“I was just leaving,” she said stiffly, holding herself close against the wall as if she was afraid Hephaestus’ very presences would contaminate her. She caught Percy’s eye and flashed another all teeth smile.

“Meet me later when you get off of work okay? Outside the Ambrosia.”

She did not give Percy a change to respond as she swept out of the room. Hephaestus clapped Percy on the shoulder in sympathy and they got back to work. They closed up for the night when the light became to faint for working conditions. Hephaestus squinted at the sky, at the collection of dark clouds that drifted in as the sun set.

“Bad storm coming,” he grunted. He looked sideways at Percy, stroking his beard as he gruffly asked, “you okay to walk home boy?”

Percy grinned at his concern. This was a side of Hephaestus people never bothered to find. He really was a big softie (emphases on the _big_ ).

“I’ll be alright. Apparently I have to stop by the Ambrosia anyway,” Percy sighed. “And I have to pick up Ma’s medicine.”

Hephaestus grunted. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Percy grinned and waved his boss off.

He set down the dirt street, whistling as he went. He stopped to pick up Sally’s medicine and, with his spare change, some hard candies. He sucked on one as he walked down the street, keeping a careful eye out for the little miscreants he knew were running about.

Sure enough he found them, ducking and scurrying on the road ahead. A blonde head peeked out from behind a garbage can and the little face attached to it light up with a smile.

“Mister Percy,” the little boy cried in delight. He darted out from his hiding place, making a beeline for his older friend. Unfortunately for him, he was not the only one who noticed Percy. Medusa stepped onto the street at the same time as the child and he ended up collided with the woman.

“Hey, watch it vermin!” Medusa cried, outraged, kicking out.

“Hey!” Percy protested, jumping forward at the same time another voice, this one shrill and young, cried: “Nobody hits my brother!”

Little Thalia Grace kicked the baron’s daughter with all her seven year old might, causing Medusa to release her brother.

“Why you little – “ Medusa snarled as Percy slipped between her and the children.

"Hey, take it easy,” Percy interjected, holding his arms out in peace. "They're just kids alright? Just kids."

Thalia, and little toe-head Jason, darted behind Percy and hugged his legs tight, eyeing Medusa suspiciously. Percy reached down to run his fingers through Jason's dirty hair.

"Yeah well," Medusa said haughtily, suspiciously eyeing the two children clinging tight to the object of her desire, "It better not happen again!"

"It won’t," Percy soothed, ushering the children away.

"Percy?" Jason asked, his innocent eyes large and round as they sweetly peered up at the man.

"It's okay," Percy assured him, reaching down to check the young boy for any injuries. "She's just cranky. Try not to run into her next time okay buddy? I know you didn't mean too."

"Cow," Thalia sneered, gripping Jason tight with one arm and the other still wound around Percy's leg. Percy patted her on the head as well, not bothering to correct her insult.

"Here, look what I got my two favorite miscreants," Percy said, holding out the candies he brought exactly for this purpose.

"C'ndy" Jason squealed happily, reaching his chubby toddler hands out for the treat. "Fank you."

"Thank you," Thalia corrected as she sucked on her own candy. Her electric eyes glanced up at Percy as she unhappily asked, ”Mister Percy, you're not gonna go back and talk to her are you?"

"I'm afraid so," Percy sighed dramatically, causing both younglings to giggle. "Stay out of trouble okay? And it looks like it's about to storm so get indoors quickly alright?"

The siblings nodded. Thalia took her little brother’s hand and ushered him down the street as Jason twisted around and waved a sticky hand goodbye. Percy waved back, watching them sadly. He wondered if they were going home tonight, then figured he probably did not want to know. He just hoped they got somewhere safe. His heart ached and he wished he could take them home with him, but Percy barely had enough food to feed his own family much less two more hungry children. With a heavy heart, he turned away. And found Medusa waiting for him, tapping her foot impatiently. When she realized she had his attention she made that terrifying smile again and stepped forward.

"You're going to take me to dinner," she told him sweetly.

"What?" Percy could not believe his ears.

"You are going to take me to dinner," Medusa repeated, enunciation each words slowly and carefully as though speaking to a child. Which she was not any good at as she so elegantly demonstrated earlier.

"Why would I want to do that?" Percy demanded, crossing his arms and suspiciously squinting at the baron’s daughter, trying to figure out what her game was.

"Gods, it's a good thing you're pretty," Medusa sighed, clapping her hands together, "Because I want you to court me. You are well respected, caring, kind, all that other nonsense people generally look for in a partner. But more importantly, you're the only man who comes close to being as handsome as me."

Percy just stared at her. Her last words were accompanied with a toss of one of her tightly coiled ringlets and it bounced against her beautiful skin as he found his voice again; "Why on earth would I want to court you? You're selfish, vain, petty - you just kicked a child! Jason, who's like the sweetest and cutest thing ever. You judge people solely based on their appearance. What would make you think I would ever want to court you?"

Medusa looked as though he had slapped her. Their little spat had drawn a crowd and the baron's daughter looked around at the onlookers, shame and humiliation coloring her cheeks.

"Take it back," she hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Apologize, take me by the hand and stop making a scene."

When Percy did not say anything she snarled, "I mean it Jackson. You don't want to cross me."

"Good bye, Miss Gorgon," Percy said simply, ducking around the crowd and hastily making his way into the forest.

Thunder crashed across the sky, a raindrop fell on his shoulder then another and another until a steady drizzle fell from the heavens. _Great, just great_ , Percy though sullenly. As if his day was not bad enough. _Who does she think she is?_ Percy angrily kicked the ground, _bossing me around like that. Threatening me._ She's the baron's daughter, a voice that sounded altogether too much like his mother's reminded him. He winced. Yeah, he probably could have handled that better. Turned her down easy, made less of a scene.

 _But she's awful_ , another part of him protested. _She kicked Jason!_

It began to rain harder, the icy droplets cutting through his thin clothes and obscuring his vision. He squinted through the almost opaque wall of rain. He thought he heard a noise behind him. He jerked around, his eyes narrowing and flickering through the hardly visible trees.

"Who's there?" Percy called, the wind and rain stealing his voice before it could carry too far. Rain continued to pour, bouncing off treetops and splattering mud against his shins. He thought he saw a dark figure flit through the forest and his eyes tried to track the movement.

"I know you're out there!" He called, but no one answered him.

He kept moving. He was shivering violently, arms wrapped around himself in a desperate attempt to keep warm. The hairs on the back of his neck constantly had him looking over his shoulder, shouting into the trees sometimes but nobody ever stepped forth. His chest clenched nonetheless; he knew something was out there. The rain came in so thick and hard Percy did not know which way he was heading anymore. In fact, he did not even know where he was.

Something loomed in the distance and Percy squinted, trying to figure it out. His body shook so violently from the cold he could not even walk straight. He stumbled forward until the dark blob started to take form. It was a castle, a towering dark ominous castle complete with menacing gates and points. Everything about it screamed go away. But Percy knew he could not stay out in the elements any longer. He would risk the creepy old castle.

He collapsed against the front gate, rattling the door. To his immense surprise, it fell open with ease and he found himself face first in the mud. Teeth clattering, Percy lifted himself out of the cold mud and limped towards the door. The doors were giant and imposing, dark towering structures complete with brass knockers. Percy was sure the sign probably held an impressive and terrifying warning to any trespassers, but he was too cold and tired to care.

He knocked on the door. The rain continued to pour, a hurricane of sound that drown out all other sounds so Percy could not tell if someone heard him or not.

He knocked again.

"Hello!" He hollered, "Somebody? Please, I'm lost and cold and it's raining. If I could only come in until the storm lets up I'll be most grateful."

A clash of thunder.

"I can fix your fence as payment if you want!" Percy called, desperately wishing someone would open the door.

As he miserably shivered the door opened a crack.

"Hello," Percy called eagerly, "I'm sorry, I won't be a bother I swear! I'll make it up to you."

The door opened all the way and Percy frowned in confused at the empty hall. Squinting into the dark hallway Percy could make out the shape of furniture and the likes, but no person.

“Oh gods, please don’t be haunted,” Percy prayed feverously as he stepped inside. The door swung shut behind him and he jumped despite himself. It was only slightly warmer inside, although it seemed terribly unfair to call it ‘warmer’, less cold felt more accurate. But the wind and rain could not reach him in here; Percy was grateful.

The hallway was dimly lit by a flickering candlestick, short but burning brightly for its minute stature. Great paintings adorned the hall, portraits glaring judgmentally at him, dark foreboding forests and pastures stretching beside them. Percy was afraid to so much as breath on them wrong, they probably cost more than all the revenue of Montauk. As Percy gaped, a whispered hiss reached his ear and he turned around, listening with wide eyes.

“ _You can’t let him in,”_ an angry voice hissed.

 _“Look at the poor boy,”_ a melodious voice hissed back, thick with an accent Percy never heard before. _“He’ll catch his death, he stays.”_

“Hello?” Percy called, snatching up the candlestick to hold over his head and illuminate the way. He was alone in the hallway, but he _knew_ he heard voices –

“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing getting all handsy like that?”

Percy jumped in surprised at the new voice, this one younger and brasher than the other two. The candlestick in his hand _moved,_ the neck twisting so the fire brushed against his fingers and Percy dropped the entire thing in alarm.

“Ow! Hey, now, that was totally uncalled for you son of – “

“Lee,” a mild voice scolded, which seemed to be emanating from a footstool that miraculously inched forward to nudge against the fallen candlestick, “that’s rude, he’s our guest.”

“He dropped me!” The candlestick objected indignantly.

Percy stared at the arguing furniture in horror, backing up until his back hit the wall. Had the cold and the wet addled his brain? He squeezed his eyes shut tight then reopened them. The candlestick and footstool were still arguing.

“Chiron, Lee, hush, you are frightening him,” the accented voice scolded. A teapot hobbled next to the footstool, her whistle blowing.

“Di immortals,” Percy breathed. He was crazy, he lost it.

“At least this one hasn’t fainted yet,” a champagne glass grumbled as it hopped into view.

“Are you alright dear?” The teapot asked, concerned.

“You’re a teapot,” Percy breathed.

“Yes dear.”

“He’s a candlestick.”

“That you _dropped._ ”

“And a champagne glass,” Percy added faintly.

“ _Wine_ glass,” the wine glass hiccupped, obviously offended, “uncultured swine.”

“I need to sit down,” Percy said.

 

* * *

 

There was a plush, if not slightly musty, armchair in a drawing room next to a roaring fire. The fire was _heaven,_ banishing the cold from the once frigid room and bring warmth back to his fingertips. As he warmed himself, tucked snuggly in the overlarge chair, he kept a wary eye on the gathered crowd before him. A gather crowd that included a candlestick, a richly embroidered footstool and a delicate and intricately designed teapot. Who spoke. Inanimate objects, as sentimental as himself.

“Is this house haunted?” Percy asked hesitantly, unsure how to process this new information.

The wine glass snorted, the rich red liquid inside swirling and sloshing out of his top, “Haunted, _hah._ Do we look like ghost to you?”

“Are you possessed?” Was Percy’s next question, wary. Devils and demons were not something he was equipped to deal with. He did not want to piss them off either though if they were.

“No, dear, Dionysus leave the boy alone. Lee, apologize for burning him,” the teapot demanded. “Nico, little one, where are you? Our guest needs some tea.”

The wine glass, Dionysus, muttered under his breath but the teapot nudged him out of her way, shuffling over to hop on the arm of Percy’s chair. Percy tried not to flinch. They still had not answered his question.

“Not possessed my dear boy,” the footstool said patiently, “Cursed, but I assure you we neither mean you harm nor will we hurt you.”

“Hmph, Nico! Hush, Chiron, can’t you see the boy is tired and cold? Poor dear, out in the elements for so long. Don’t worry dear, I shall not let any of these fools bother you. Where is Nico? Lee have you apologized yet?”

The candlestick gave an exasperate sigh. “I’m sorry I burned you…although you deserved it.”

“ _Lee.”_

“Curse?” Percy asked, trying to draw the conversation back to something that resembled sanity. Lee seemed to huff, his long neck folding over and bringing the flame dangerously close to Chiron’s fabric back.

“Yes, an enchantress’ curse I’m afraid,” Chiron the footstool said with a well-worn sigh, “We were once human like you. But that is a long story. Just know that it is not contagious, you shall not turn into furniture. You are safe.”

“ _Nico little one, if you are not out here by time I count to three you will sorely – “_

“I’m here Ma, I’m here,” a young voice whined and a little teacup hopped onto the chair next to the teapot. The teacup was styled the same as the teapot, dark and intricate, but there as edge of his rim that was chipped. Percy assumed this was the allusive Nico.

“Ah good. Our guest needs some tea – “

“Maria, I’m not sure – “ Chiron tried to intervene calmly but the teapot ignored him, speaking over the footstool.

“One cube or two my dear?”

“Um,” Percy said uncomfortably as Maria starting pouring tea into the sulking Nico. “I’m ah, I’m good thanks.”

“Nonsense, you will get a cold.” Maria dismissed, using her spout to flick one sugar cube in the tea. Nico hopped over to Percy, who stared awkwardly down at the poor cup.

“I don’t feel particularly comfortable drinking out of someone who’s, ah, real,” Percy said. Nico tilted himself, his handle turning sideways as though he were a human tilting is head.

“You will catch your death, drink.” Maria pressed. 

Percy picked up the teacup, but he had no intentions of drinking      any tea. He stared at the teacup, who even without a face looked sullen and angry.

“Um, hi,” Percy said awkwardly, “I’m Percy. Percy Jackson.”

“Oh, we never asked for his name how terribly rude of us,” Maria fretted as Nico shifted in Percy’s hand, which was terrible weird and the human almost dropped him. “We never even introduced ourselves. I am Maria, and that adorable teacup you hold is my ten year old son, Nico. The footstool is Chiron, he is the steward of this castle. Dionysus is the wine glass, ignore him.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Percy managed, nodding at the teapot and feeling absolutely nuts. Nothing about this situation felt real, yet here he was having a conversation with household objects as if nothing was wrong.

“He’s warm now,” Dionysus groaned, hiccupping slightly. Percy noticed the level of wine in his, ah, inside himself had lowered. Did he drink the wine? How did that even work?! “He should – _hic_ – should leave. You know she won’t like it if she finds out you invited somebody in.”

“Let me fetch him a coat,” Chiron interrupted calmly as Maria whirled on Dionysus. If a teapot could look furious, she managed it. “And he can be on his way. I should tell you though, my dear boy, it’s been nice talking to a real human.”

“Rush him out this quickly?” Maria asked hotly, “Back into the cold forest? No, he should stay until the light.”

“Maria,” Chiron warned. “You know how the Mistress would feel.”

Maria grumbled.

“I shall get you a coat,” Chiron said.

“Um, thanks,” Percy said as the footstool shuffled away. The teacup turned in his hand, hot tea spilling over Percy’s hand. Percy resisted the urge to flinch, worried about dropping the poor teacup.

“You’re human,” Nico said.

“Last time I checked,” Percy agreed. This day felt so surreal, he would not have even been surprised if he were no longer human.

An awkward silence descended, broken only by the crackling of the fire as they waited. Dionysus’ wine kept disappearing, and his hiccups increased. Maria sat silently by his elbow and Percy put Nico down next to his mother.

“Thanks for ah, being so hospitable,” Percy starting to thank them when the drawing room door slammed opened. Dionysus jumped, the little wine left spilling over the floor. Nico ducked behind Maria, who’s cap clamped down tightly.

A woman walked into the room, standing stiff and proud. Percy could not help but gasp when she stepped into the firelight, the flames illuminating her features. At first glance, she seemed like a normal woman. Her posture was impeccable, ramrod straight and shoulders squared. A dark pair of glasses obscured her eyes and the fire reflected ominously off of them. She was pale, as if her skin had never seen the sun. But where her hair should be, there was not. Instead, writhing and hissing as they coiled around her head, tiny black snakes protruded from her scalp.

The sight was horrifying. Hundreds of little snakes hissed at him, beady little eyes locking onto his in cold reptilian fury. Their black scales stood out starkly against her pale skin and her red lips thinned as her head turned to assess him.

“Who is this,” the woman demanded. Her voice was cold as ice, and cut through Percy worse than the weather. Her snakes hissed angrily.

“Mistress Athena,” Maria’s accent seemed even thicker as she addressed the monstrosity before them. “Please. He is a traveler and was caught in the storm – “

“You let a stranger into my castle,” Athena said, her voice sharper than Hephaestus’ best blade.

“Mistress calm yourself.”

“Who are you, who dares to enter my home?” Athena walked purposely towards Percy, who scrambled to his feet in alarm.  “Who sent you? Did you come to gaze upon the beast of Mykene Castle peasant? Come to gawk and stare at the fallen Mistress of Mykene? Montauk’s monster.”

“I – “ Percy stammered, his eyes fixed on the hissing snakes that writhed sickeningly around Athena’s face. “Yes, no! I mean, I don’t know – I’m sorry.”

“Fool.” Athena declared, her harsh voice barking in the enclosed space. “You will regret coming here. None who gaze upon me live, moral, do you understand?”

“Wait – “ Percy panicked, “I didn’t meant to trespass honest! I – I was cold and wet and it was storming. I asked to come in, I didn’t just barge in, I can – “

“Athena, you’re frightening him,” Chiron’s voice scolded as the footstool shuffled back into the room. The snake lady did not move, the constant hiss from her hundred reptilian friends still filled the air. “This is our _guest_ , Percy Jackson.”

Percy was sure there was some significance to Chiron’s overemphasis of the word ‘guest’ but honestly he could not care less at the moment. He inched away from the dangerous snake lady.

“He could be the one,” Maria’s disapprovingly added.

Percy did not like the sound of that. One what? Suddenly, all their hospitality seemed a lot more sinister. And he thought they seemed nice. He wondered if he could make it to the door before any of them could stop him. It would not be that hard to outrun a footstool, but Athena’s snakes made him leery. Were they poisonous?

Athena scoffed, “There is no such thing, di Angelo, must we go over this again? Do you hail from Montauk, Percy Jackson?”

He shuddered as she hissed his name, drawing out the syllables as if they were something unsavory. Percy bristled despite himself. This probably was not the best time to get into a fight, but his brain to mouth filter was nonexistent at best so he snapped back:

“What the hell’s wrong with my name? At least it doesn’t sound like I have a stick up my – “

The snakes hissed, their heads snapping up and coming alarmingly close to his face. His insult cut off sharply as their forked tongues tickled his face.

“I mean – nice to meet you,” Percy hastily corrected himself.

“Athena is an honorable name,” Athena said haughtily, “A name of integrity and academics. I should not expect you to understand that _Percy._ Perhaps you will have time to think on that in the dungeon tonight.”

“Oh?” Percy asked, raising an eyebrow and obviously not having learned his lesson on pissing off the crazy snake lady, “You and what army? A drunked wine glass and a footstool?”

As if to prove his point, Dionysus gave a rather drunken hiccup, his entire glass body trembling and Percy almost feared he would fall over and shatter himself. He leaned against Lee, and if a candlestick could looked pained this one did.

Athena’s face darkened, which cast eerie shadows over her pale face and created the rather disturbing image not unlike a demon. A dark and pale demon, framed by the black hissing snakes and their pink forked tongues and yeah maybe Percy was a little afraid.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with Percy Jackson,” Athena hissed, her mouth making a sound terrifyingly similar to that of the serpents coiling sinisterly around her face. “You have no idea how close to death you are. Do you see me, man of Montauk? Do you know upon whom you gaze?”

“Um,” was all that came out of Percy’s mouth but Athena pulled away, so her snakes no longer threatened his face.

“You cannot leave this castle,” Athena declared. “You can try, but the doors shall not open for you, Percy Jackson. Think of it as a lesson. I shall teach you how to respect your betters, humility shall be engrained in you and your stupidity driven out.”

“You can’t do that!” Percy objected, horrified, the slight on his person dismissed (honestly, it was not like he had not heard all of it before). “I can’t stay here!”

Athena no longer listened however. She swept out of the room as quickly and ominously as she came, the swish of her dark ropes almost extinguishing Lee’s flame.

“I can’t stay here!” Percy cried again in the silence of the too still room. Nobody answered him. The teacup shuffled closer to his mother, the wine glass dipping low, the candlestick even seemed to avoid his desperate gaze.

“I can’t stay here,” was the mantra on Percy’s lips as he dashed from the room.

“Please, Percy wait!” Chiron called after him, but Percy was beyond listening. He bounded down the hall to the large front doors, grasping the cold golden handle in his callous hands and tugged. Nothing. He tugged again, desperately, but the door did not budge.

“No, no, no,” Percy despaired, pulling and pounding on the door in fury and panic. He was dimly aware of a growing audience, the eclectic group of cursed objects, watching without eyes as he raged against the unrelenting wood.

“I can’t – I _won’t_ – I have to,” Percy gasped, lashing out at the door until his knuckles were torn and blood ran freely down his arm.

“Percy,” a timid voice asked as his hysteria faded and his strength waned.

“Percy,” the melodious and motherly Maria called softly. His knees trembled and he sank onto the cold floor, shaking his head.

“I can’t, I can’t,” he repeated. “I have to go home. I can’t stay here.”

What was he going to do? He had medicine his mom needed. What would she do when he did not return? Would Gabe go into town to fetch more? How would he pay for it without the wages that burned against Percy’s side?

“My mom is sick,” he begged, unsure who he was addressing. “She needs me. I cannot stay here. Please. I’m all she’s got.”

Maria gently tapped him with the end of her smooth, delicate spout. “You cannot leave my dear.” She told him, her deep, accented voice echoing damningly in the hollow space, “I am sorry. But you cannot leave.”


	2. The Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Nico, can you tell me about the curse?” Percy asked softly.

"This is your room," Chiron told him, his voice full of a genial cheer that set Percy's teeth on edge.

"You mean my dungeon," Percy bitterly retorted, peering into the dark room the footstool darted into.

"Room, dear," Maria tsked from her safe spot on Chiron's back.

"Dungeon," Percy repeated darkly as he followed them inside.

The room was as dark and gloomy as the rest of the castle. The air seemed heavy with ominous secrets and warnings, the brilliant flashes of lightning beyond the narrow window illuminating the swirling dust and casting shades of gray across the space. A cracked and worn wardrobe slumped in one corner, an untouched but pristine four poster bed in another. It was quite empty, for such a large space. An odd shiver ran down Percy's spine. His feet lead him to the window, to gaze out at the raging storm behind the jaded glass, perfectly reminiscent of the one that raged inside himself. He tapped the glass. Could he fit through this tiny window and reach the world outside?

"Your shoulders are far too wide." Maria's voice startled him and he jumped.

"Huh?" Percy asked, turning around to squint through the darkness at the teapot.

"You will not fill through the window, your shoulders are much too wide. You'd have to be a slight young maid to escape through there. You, my dear, are anything but."

Percy flushed; he hated how his thoughts were so easily read by others. He sighed and pushed away from the window, eyeing the aged bed worryingly for a moment before collapsing onto it. A cloud of dust erupted at his abrupt arrival, causing Percy to cough and sneeze.

"Bless you dear," Maria calmly called, and a moment later Chiron leapt onto the bed with his charges. Dionysus was conspicuously missing, but Lee, Maria and Nico all assembled on the footstool's back. Percy was pretty sure they were all giving him pitying looks.

"It won't be so bad," Chiron consoled, "The mistress comes off a little…strong at first but you get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it," Percy bitterly said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Cold seeped into his skin, the ice of the castle leaking through his thin clothes and stealing the very warmth from his being. He shivered. "Can't we light a fire?"

The furniture seemed surprised.

"Athena doesn't – " Lee started to say but Maria cut him off with a sharp bark in her strange foreign tongue.

"Lee, light the fireplace in Percy's room," the teapot commanded.

"But – "

_"Lee."_

"Yes ma'am," Lee grumbled. He jumped off the bed in a blur of light and hobbled to the fireplace, still grumbling to himself. They watched in silence as the candlestick slowly coaxed his flame to take to the firewood. Before long, a fire softly crackled in the room. Percy shifted on the bed, careful not to jostle the delicate Maria and Nico beside him. The fire was not large enough to warm him, but the light provided him with some comfort.

"She just needs time," Maria soothed, her low voice buzzing in the otherwise oppressive silence. "Her heart has hardened. The curse had laid upon her and this castle for long. She – we all – use to be as human as you. The curse changes a person. It has embittered her. She is rooted in her ways, even though they are the very ideas which called this curse upon us. But there is gold and treasure beneath her hard exterior. One only needs to dig with the right amount of kindness and love to find it."

Her words hung in the air. Percy almost wanted to laugh. He laid on the bed, turning to face the wall instead of his strange companions. The flame's light flickered against the wall, casting shadowy figures on the dark expanse.

"I don't believe it," he declared. "And if there is, it is buried too deep for anyone to find, especially me. Goodnight."

Only silence met his decree. Silence and the soft crackle of the firewood.

* * *

"Up and at 'em Sunshine!"

Percy jerked at the loud voice, cursing as he rolled off the bed in a tangle of limbs and sheets to crash against the cold unforgiving floor.

"That's what you get for sleeping in!"

"Lee!" Percy angrily cried, scrambling to his feet to glare at the unrepentant candlestick perched on his bed.

"Breakfast is ready," Lee innocently told him. His flame seemed to twinkled. Percy narrowed his eyes.

"How would you like if I snuffed out your light," he growled, grabbing the candlestick before he could make a getaway.

"Hey! Put me down! Not cool! We've talked about this – no manhandling the candlestick!"

"Seeing as I'm bigger then you, I think I can," Percy smugly declared. If candlesticks could scowl, this one did.

He cursed at Percy, bending over to scorch Percy's hand with his flame.

"Ow! Oh, uncalled for," Percy yelped, releasing the candlestick in surprise. Lee screamed but Percy caught him before the candlestick connected with the hard floor.

"Ah, truce?" Percy asked in the silence that followed. Lee seemed to consider it, his flame flickering as he tilted to the side.

"Truce," he agreed. "You know, you're annoying and violent, but I think I like you."

"Um, thanks?" Percy said, his brow furrowed. "And, ah, I'm normally not so violent? So, ah, sorry? Here I'll just – " he set the candlestick down on the bed.

"I appreciate it," Lee told him jovially, his good cheer returning. "Here, Maria found some clothes for you – she had Chiron lay them out on the wardrobe."

"Okay," Percy said, crossing the room to said wardrobe. Laying, folded neatly atop the worn wardrobe was a pair of fresh pants and shirt. Percy picked up the material, his eye widening as he felt their lush and thick threads. This was  _expensive._ The kind of clothes Medusa and her family would flaunt around town in. The kind that had to be imported from far away shores, traded for with rich commodities that should never even be seen much less worn by him.

"I can't wear this," he panicked.

"They don't fit?" Lee asked.

"No, they're too – " Percy protested, holding up the garment for Lee to see.

"Too what?" The candlestick asked, his flame a cool yellow as he tried to figure Percy's meaning out. "Too black? Too long? Not your color? I'm sure we could find something else."

"Too rich," Percy interrupted.

"Rich," Lee scoffed. "They're pauper clothes. I think they once belonged to the butler. Now get dressed before breakfast gets cold. Maria will have my flame."

Percy saw no choice but to wear the clothes, least he wanted to slip back into his filthy work attire. Still, he felt like a court jester, a fool dressed up in noble's clothes for the entertainment of a king.  _Or queen,_ Percy thought with a grimace as the foreboding image of Athena and her snakes came to mind.

Lee allowed Percy to pick him up so they could walk down the corridor at a more reasonable pace. The candlestick simply could not keep up with Percy's long human legs, but he did not seem to mind as he pointed things out to his companion as they moved along.

"And there's where Dionysus fell down drunk once. Absolutely hilarious. Spilled red wine all over the Mistress' new curtains. She was so furious she dumped all the wine in the cellar out. I don't think he stopped crying for weeks."

"Ah and there's where Nico chipped himself, you noticed that last night didn'tcha? Little chunk missing on the right side? He was hurrying along these stone floors, which Chiron just waxed, and  _swoosh_ down he went. Slide right along the entire hallway, spinning and whirling, as Maria wailed and Chiron and I chased after him. It's funny now, but it wasn't then. We thought he was going to crash into something and shatter into a thousand little Nico pieces!"

"Lee," Percy interrupted. The candlestick swiveled around to peer up at him. "How old are you?"

"Me?" The flame puffed up, the sudden burst of life warming Percy's hand as its owner proudly proclaimed, "Twelve."

"Twelve?" Percy repeated, "And Nico's only ten?"

"I think so," Lee said before launching into another story, unaware of the mental turmoil in his human companion. Percy stayed silent for the rest of the trip, thinking.

"Aaaand you just missed the kitchen. Hello? Earth to the human, can you hear me? Don't make me burn you again."

"Sorry, what?" Percy shook himself and paused in his walking.

"Kitchen, just passed it," Lee jerked his, well not exactly his head but the tip of himself, towards a door they just walked by.

"Right," Percy said, backtracking and opening the door.

"Ah good, I was beginning to gather a search party to go find you," was Chiron's greeting.

"You wake him up next time," Lee snarked, "Hey, Percy, tour de la kitchen is over. Put me down!"

Percy did as the candlestick instructed and set him down on the table. Lee hobbled a way before turning and adding, "Ah. Thanks for, you know, listening. Letting me ramble. It was…nice."

"Yeah, anytime," Percy automatically replied.

Lee's flame burned brighter. Percy winced, he was probably going to regret that invitation. But, setting that worry aside, Percy peered at the loud mouthed candlestick and tried to picture the twelve year old he used to be. Could be. Had not Maria said something about the curse lasting for years? Had Lee always been twelve or had he grown up as a candlestick? The thought made Percy feel ill and he sat down.

"Tea dear?" Maria's thickly accented voice called.

"Ah, only if my cup isn't Nico," Percy hedged, looking nervously at the teacup in front of him. It did not move or speak back. He poked it. Nothing.

"It's not me," a sullen Nico assured him and the dark teacup from the night before clanked to his side.

"Oh good," Percy said. A moment later, Maria appeared on the table and shuffled over to fill Percy's perfectly normal, nonspeaking cup. He took a drink of the warm tea, humming appreciatively as it breathed fire back into his icy veins.

"Chiron, the storm last night disrupted – "

Percy's head snapped up in alarm as Athena entered the kitchen, her snakes hissing lowly. The dark glasses were still firmly in place on her face. She paused when she noticed him at the table, Maria and Nico at his elbows.

"Morning Mistress," Maria addressed. "Sit, we were about to serve breakfast."

"What is he doing here?" Athena demanded, not moving from her spot.

"Well you wouldn't let me go," Percy grumbled. Maria tsked at him before heading over to Athena's side of the table. She poured steaming tea into a cup before Athena as she spoke;

"For all his impertinence, our guest is correct. You decreed he remain, so remained he has. And we shall treat him like any other guest."

"It's been years since we've had a guest," Chiron intoned, almost wishfully from his place by Percy's ankles. Percy glanced down at him and he swore the footstool smiled at him. However that was possible.

"He is not a guest," Athena said coldly, sitting stiffly at the edge of the table. She reached out and pulled her cup of tea towards her, taking a clinical sip of it, her covered gaze resting on him all the while. It was creepy as hell.

"No, I'm your prisoner," Percy retorted, just as coldly.

Athena's snakes hissed, hundreds of little heads swiveling to brandish their forked tongues at him. "Do not test me Percy Jackson."

"Or else what? You'll make me your prisoner?" Percy scoffed. Lee made a noise from his nook at the end of the table. Nico stilled, Maria bristled.

Athena set her teacup down. The simple, slow action put Percy on edge, like the calm before a storm.

"Come with me," Athena demanded. Her voice was expressionless, a cold empty void that made him wish he never opened his mouth. Athena stood and Percy followed.

She led him out of the kitchen, down an unfamiliar hallway. Percy nervously lagged behind, unsure what this monstrous snake-lady wanted from him. Judging from last night's conversation, he should not be worried she was going to murder him…yet he was not sure. He did not know any of these people (a term he used lightly). Could he really trust any of them?

They left the castle. Percy rose an eyebrow as he stepped onto a cracked pathway, overgrown with thorny leaves and dying flowers. She took him to a courtyard, or what once had been a courtyard. The area had been badly neglected. Bushes were overgrown, swallowing up stone and metal as its foliage ever expanded. Weeds grew rampant, their deadly coiling thorns and poisonous leaves treacherously reaching out for the unguarded ankles of unsuspecting travelers.

But that is not what caught Percy's eye. Standing, disbursed thorough out the silent yard, were dozens of stone statues. Athena stood impassively at his side as Percy peered closer. The statues were exquisitely finished. Every detail was  _perfect._ The stone carving before him was a perfect likeness of a horse. He could see every hair on its wild mane, tendrils leaping off as if rustled by the wind. He thought he could see mud on a nervously suspended hoof. The stone creature's eyes were wide, and Percy swore he could see fright in their cold gray depths.

"This is what happens to those who gaze upon me," Athena declared in a crisp, clipped tone.

"What?" Percy did not understand.

"Fool," she hissed and he froze as she slid closer, her black snakes singing promises of death as their forked tongues waged in his direction. "Have you not heard of the monster of Mykene? The one upon none shall gaze least they long for death's eternal embrace? Look at the horse, look at it! He once live like you, made of flesh and blood not cold stone. But one look at me, one glance into my eyes, and the very life was stolen from his being, converted and twisted until his life was forfeited and stone turned his limbs.  _This_ is what happens to those who look at me, Percy Jackson."

Percy stared at the horse in horror as her words echoed in his skull. He reached a disbelieving hand out to touch the horse's snout, icy cold under his fingertips. His unseeing eyes seemed to scream at Percy:  _run, you fool, run!_

He felt rather then heard Athena move and despite himself, he flinched. He closed his eyes tight, waiting for… he was not sure. But it never came. His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears, yet he did not dare open his eyes. His heart slowly calmed, each pound growing fainter and fainter until it settled back to a respectable thud. Silence. He dared to crack his eyes open. Gray. The horse. He opened his eyes wider.

The courtyard was deserted. Athena was gone. He glanced around, bile rising in his throat as he realized just how many stone statues peppered the unkempt lawn. He slowly walked through the overgrown grass, wide eyes taking in the stone horrors before him. A bird, forever suspended in terrorized flight sat at the edge of a dried up bath. A rabbit, her nose still twitching with curiosity, forever perched on her hind legs. A fawn, cowering and afraid, who never would find his mother. But, as Percy silently walked through this strange graveyard, there was one statue he tensely waited to find that he never saw.

"There aren't any humans," Percy murmured in the still air.

"Oh dear!"

Percy jumped at the gentle voice, his foot colliding with something hard and metal. He cursed and hobbled, and the thing he kicked apologized.

"Oh I am so sorry!"

"Er," Percy said, blinking down at the little hand shovel he tripped on. "I'm sorry too? I didn't know there were anymore, ah, talking objects. I guess I should have known better."

"Oh, you're the human that Maria brought in," the hand shovel said.

"Ah, yeah. Percy Jackson at your service," He said awkwardly, kneeling down next to the little garden utensil.

"Katie Gardener at yours," Katie introduced, and gave what almost looked like a bow. He was not entirely sure how she managed that. She turned slightly, her worn pink handle swiveling so he could see the peeling faded flowers that once adored her, "Nico be careful! You'll get caught in the undergrowth."

"Nico?" Percy called, turning around. He did not see anything. "Hey, it's alright. I just don't want to step on you or anything."

The dark teacup slowly shuffled out of a bush, his entire body seemed to droop as he cautiously made his presence know. "I was looking for Katie," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the wind.

"Oh, yes I just met her." Percy said. "Come on over, we were just having a chat."

Nico slowly made his way over and Percy sat on the ground, not caring in the slightest bit that he was probably ruining Athena's flawless garments. She loaned them to him after all.

"It's creepy out here," he admitted as the wind ruffled his hair, stirring up leaves and dirt. It swirled around the immobile stone statues, a hollow reminder of life that once was. He shivered.

"I don't like looking at them," Katie confessed in a whisper. She seemed to inch closer to him.

"Katie, how old are you?" Percy asked, repeated the question he asked the candlestick earlier. The shovel tilted her head.

"Eleven."

"Children," Percy grumbled, "most of you are children."

"Three of us," Katie agreed while Nico huffed:

"'M not a child."

Percy stared the forlorn children before him and tried to picture them as they should be: a cheerful young girl and a playful little boy (was Nico ever playful?). Percy's own childhood was miserable. His mother was too sick to properly care for him, although she tried her best. From the tender age of four, Percy took on a large portion of household chores and duties. He suffered Gabe's wrath and his blows, always away from his mother's careful eye. He bore the scars of a hard life, one of abuse and labor, tattooed on his skin at a time when he ought to have known naught but gentle caresses and loving embraces. He understood the perils of a hard childhood. His heart ached when he saw Thalia and Jason on the streets, and it ached now staring down at the children who were being denied their childhood.

"Come on, let's go inside," Percy suggested softly. "Where it's warmer. Maybe we can find Lee."

"Why would we want to do that?" Nico asked as Percy stood up and brushed off his pants. Another gust of wind cut through the air, and Percy shivered at the unnatural silence.

"So we can do something fun," Percy said, reaching down to scoop up the teacup and Katie. He cradled Nico carefully against him, mindful of his delicate nature.

"What can we do that's fun?"

That was a fair question, one Percy did not know the answer to. He would have to think about that. Playing with Jason and Thalia was easy. He could chase them around town until they were red faced and giggling and then buy them candy after. He did not exactly know what he could do to cheer up a teacup, a hand shovel, and a candlestick. They found Lee mopping about with Chiron, complaining loudly as the footstool tried to employ his assistance.

"Percy," Chiron greeted amiably as he approached the pair, "Did you have a nice little stroll?"

Percy snorted, "If that's what you want to call it. I came to borrow Lee actually if I could."

Lee straighten up, turning eagerly towards Percy. "Yeah, Chiron, our guest needs me."

"You may go," Chiron easily allowed. The candlestick gave a whoop of joy, hopping over to Percy and his armful of cursed children.

"What'ya need PJ?" Lee asked excitedly as they walked down the hall. Each hop the candlestick made clanged loudly in the otherwise deserted hallway. Instead of finding the loud clash annoying, Percy found the disturbance of the unnatural silence to be calming.

"Ah, company?" Percy tried. Which sounded a lot better than 'you three are just a bunch of kids that got caught up in some terrible curse that wasn't even met for you and I feel bad'. The candlestick looked up at him.

"Yeah it can get lonely here," he said simply, "Nico doesn't seem to mind though. Why'd you tag along Chipped?"

Percy swore the teacup glowered.

"Because I wanted him to," Percy said simply, cutting off any argument before it started. He nudged the door to his dungeon/room open and slipped inside. The fire had long since died, so Percy knelt beside it, gently placing Nico and Katie on the ground.

"It's freezing in here," Percy complained, carefully stacking firewood in the fireplace.

"You get used to it," Nico said.

"You shouldn't have to, it doesn't take that much to build a fire," Percy grumbled. "And you guys have a fireplace in every room. Hey, Lee, give me a little fire would you?"

"Coming right up," Lee eagerly hopped forward and bend over the wood, letting his flame tickle the decaying timber. As they got the fire going, Percy stood up and dragged the bedding over its ever growing side.

"Ah, Percy?" Lee asked as Percy spread blankets out and stacked the few pillows. "What are you doing?"

"Building a fort by the fire," Percy huffed. At the silence from his three unenthusiastic charges, he frowned down at them. "Don't tell me you three have never built a fort by the fire."

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Katie hesitantly asked.

"A little," Percy agreed with a grin. "I always got yelled at for it. Promise I won't let any of you catch fire. Come on, get comfortable."

They clearly thought he was crazy, but Katie good naturally shuffled over and laid her dirt covered head on one of the pillows. Lee shrugged and hopped into the nest of pillows and blankets, letting his flames extinguish so he could settled against the fabric without catching it on fire. Nico hovered uncertainly, so Percy laid down, making a big show out of getting comfortable. He nestled in between Lee and Katie and grinned at the little teacup.

"Come on Nico," he called, "it's warm and comfortable. Be a kid for once."

"I'm a teacup," Nico grumbled, but he wiggled his way into the pile of blankets and bodies (objects?). He ended up next to Katie, far enough away from the sharp point of her blade and near the side of Percy's head.

"That's the spirit." Percy encouraged.

"This is weird," Lee exclaimed from somewhere around Percy's elbow. The cold of his frame bashed against Percy's sensitive joint and he bit back a curse.

"It's cozy," Katie said sweetly, "I like it. I wish I was human so I could tuck the blanket around me all snug."

"Here," Percy muttered, reaching over to tuck one of the blankets around the little shovel. He felt bad for the poor kids. Being household objects could not be any fun, especially without all the luxury that come with being human. Like opposable thumbs. And faces.

"Thanks," Katie muttered. "Did you do this a lot when you were our ages?"

"All the time," Percy said. "I live on this little farm so it gets real cold in the winter. We didn't have a stove or a big fireplace to keep the house warm. There was just a little one in my mom's room. So at night, when it got cold, I would gather up all the blankets and pillows in the house and make a little bed in front of it."

He grinned at the memory. Their blankets were thin and ratty but piled all together they almost made a comfortable bed. Sally would scold him for the fire hazard, but if it was a good day and she was feeling well enough, after moving the edge of the blankets a respectable distance from the fire, she would curl up next to him. Those were the absolute best memories Percy had, of long winter nights curled up between the heat of the fire and the warmth of his mother as she told him stories of faraway places and magical kingdoms with grand adventures and brave knights.

His mom, who was sick and alone at home now, worried and afraid for her son who did not return home.

"So you just laid there?" Lee asked skeptically. "And did what? Watch the paint on the ceiling peel?"

Percy snorted, accidently upsetting Nico's precarious perch on his pillow. "Whoops, sorry there Nico. No, we would tell stories."

"What kind of stories?" Nico asked, settling in a safer space closer to Katie.

"All kinds, whatever came to mind, real stories or make believe," Percy said.

"Tell us one," Lee eagerly asked, "We never get stories."

"We're too old for stories," Nico disagreed, but the words sounded rehearsed.

"You're never too old for stories." Percy denied. "Want to hear about the time I almost burned down the local bakery?"

"Yes!" Lee said excitedly.

Percy laughed and recounted the tale, being as dramatic as possible. He had to check himself once or twice, when his gestures got too grand, as he often forgot Nico hovered at his side and was very much breakable. The ice was broken after that and the kids all took turns telling their own stories. Katie told a cute story about some time a squirrel tried to carry her away and Athena had to come rescue her from its greedy little paws. Lee excitedly recounted a time when he  _did_ catch a tapestry on fire and Dionysus tried to put it out with wine (it did not end well). Nico surprised Percy by putting in his own little tale, about a time when he was still human. It was sweet little story, about how Nico had fallen asleep outside and the entire castle was in an uproar trying to find him.

They pleasantly passed the day swapping stories. Maria brought him dinner sometime in the evening and did not look the slightest bit surprised by the nest she found.

"Just don't catch anything on fire dears," she said.

It was late evening now, and the soft breathing from the little objects around Percy told him that the kids had fallen asleep on him. Percy did not mind. He poked at the fire, stirring the golden embers that were almost extinguished. The wood had long since burned to ashes and there were no more logs waiting.

"We usually don't have a lot of firewood," came Nico's sleepy voice.

"Oh, Nico I thought you were asleep." Percy said softly, twisting around to peer down at the little teacup.

"Not tired," the teacup denied, seeming to almost shrug with his handle. "There's a large pile beside the courtyard, where all the statues are, if you want to go get more."

"I think I will," Percy said, carefully standing up without jostling the other two. "I'll be right back okay?"

"We survived for four years without you," Nico huffed. "I think I can wait a few minutes."

"Right," Percy grinned. "Be right back."

He quietly slipped out the door, and almost ran right into the wine glass lounging outside.

"Watch it Peter," Dionysus grumbled, the blood red wine swirling and in serious danger of spilling out. "You almost made me spill my wine."

"Uh, sorry, and it's Percy," Percy said, carefully stepping around the overflowing wine glass. "But, ah, what are you doing lurking outside my door?"

Dionysus grunted and avoided his question, "All three of the kids are in there right?"

"Yeah," Percy said slowly. He waited for more information but none was forthcoming. Instead, the wine inside of Dionysus simply diminished as Percy watched. "Why?" He finally asked.

"Just wondering," came the disinterested reply.

"Right," Percy said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Well, I'm going to get more firewood."

The wine glass did not reply, leaning against the wall next to Percy's door instead. With one last odd look at Dionysus, Percy headed down the hall. He only managed to take about half a dozen steps when Dionysus' voice called to him.

"Oh and Pierce?"

Percy turned, figuring the wine glass was speaking to him as they were the only two people (relatively speaking) in the hallway. Dionysus voice carried easily down the empty hallway, the usual drunken hiccupping oddly absent from his voice.

"Thank you for taking time for the kids. It's not easy, being under this curse and it's worse for them. Sometimes the others forget they're even children who should be playing and causing mischief. It's good to see them happy and doing normal children things."

"Oh," Percy said, surprised at Dionysus' attention. He had not realized the wine glass cared that much.

"Now go get your firewood," Dionysus dismissed.

"Right," Percy said with a small smile.

He set off down the hallway again, leaving behind the glow from his room and the silent vigilance of the wine glass. Bracing himself against the cold, Percy headed out into the night. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and it had not even been warm in the morning. The courtyard was even eerier at night so Percy resolved to avoid looking at the statues as he searched for the pile of wood. The cold of the night tore through the sturdy and heavy material of the finer clothes Percy wore and he shivered as he gathered up some firewood. He wondered how his mother fared back home. If Percy was cold even dressed as fine as a king, how cold must his mother be? He hoped Gabe cut up wood for the fire.

With a sigh, and an armful of wood, Percy returned to the house. The cold entrance was only marginally warmer than the elements, but at least it shielded him from the wind. And his warm room await him, with the children all curled up by the dying embers.

"You will rapidly deplete our wood supply," Athena seemed to appear from the very shadow of the castle and Percy jumped despite himself. She regarded him silently from behind the dark glasses that obscured her face. Percy tried not to shiver under the ice of her gaze, images of the still and cold statues behind them vivid in his mind.

"I can cut more," Percy said instead, determined to keep his voice steady. "It's a small price for warmth."

"Perhaps," Athena agreed. The snakes that framed her face seemed more relaxed in the moonlight. They rested their little heads on her shoulder, piles of little reptilian bodies in silent slumber. The lack of hissing was almost discerning.

"There aren't any humans," Percy blurted out. The words hung in the dark and Athena slowly turned her body towards his, a frown marring her face.

"Not yet," she said mildly. She turned her attention back to the courtyard. "The horse startled me."

Percy paused, feeling as though Athena was about to tell him something important. She seemed less…volatile then the last few times he encountered her. Almost regretful.

"I was walking through the forest beyond my castle, for fresh air. I heard the pounding of hooves of course and knew he was close. I could tell he was riderless by the way he ambled. I went to retrieve him and bring him to my castle for warmth and nourishment. But my snakes startled him and he reared. I jerked out of the way as he stood on his hind legs and my glasses fell off. He turned to stone before his hooves could even return to the ground."

"It was an accident." Percy realized. He remembered the look of terror in the horses' gray eyes. Fear of the snakes then, and not the lady to whom they belonged.

"A fatal accident." Athena said. "For all the fair intentions in the world cannot still death's hand. Do you understand?"

Percy had the feeling she was trying to warn him.

"Not everything is all doom and gloom you know," Percy said instead. "Good things do occasionally happen."

"Not in Mykene they don't. Good night Percy Jackson, your fire grows cold."

With that last statement, Athena departed, leaving Percy alone in the hallway.

"She means well my dear."

Or maybe not alone, Percy amended, looking down to see Chiron shuffle in with Maria on his back.

"It sounded like she was trying to warn me."

"And apologize," Chiron said delicately.

"Didn't sound like an apology to me." Percy said with a raised eyebrow as he started walking back to his room.

"Athena is a very wise woman," Chiron said carefully. "She is probably the wisest woman in all the lands. It is her pride that gets her into trouble. And her pride will not allow for an apology so she tried to explain her behavior. Thus, the story of the unfortunate horse."

"Oh," Percy blinked. That made sense actually.

"She needs someone who can teach her to let go of her pride," Maria spoke. "To teach her that somethings are more important than pride and that sometimes emotions are greater than wisdom."

"Sounds like a challenge," Percy said, not rising to the bait. "And what do you know, this is my dungeon. Thanks for the chat but I've got a fire to tend to. Hey, Dionysus, thanks for holding down the fort for me."

The wine glass was empty by now and leaning almost bent against the wall, snoring loudly. Percy was not fooled by his drunken antics anymore; Dionysus had been watching. He gave a rather loud snore at Percy's words, probably to cover a snort and the human slipped inside his door and shut it before either Chiron or Maria could say more.

Lee and Katie were still sound asleep, but Nico hovered close to the dying embers.

"Took you long enough, did you get lost?" The little teacup asked.

"Ran into Athena," Percy shrugged, depositing his load of firewood. He rebuilt the fire and stroked the embers. "Maria and Chiron seem to think she was trying to apology in some twisted way."

"Maybe, I think she did feel guilty." Nico said, much to Percy's surprise. "She's almost acting the way she did after…"

Nico did not finish the thought, but seemed to gaze (as much as one could when one did not have a face) at the little fire Percy coaxed to life.

"After what?" Percy pressed, staring curiously at the child at his side.

"After Bianca died," Nico said in the littlest voice.

Percy sat down, staring at the miserable little teacup. He got to overwhelming urge to hug the poor kid, but well, Nico was a teacup and he doubted he would have appreciated it even if he was a boy.

"Who was Bianca?" Percy asked gently. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He added when Nico did not reply right away.

"She was my sister."

Oh. Percy sucked in a breath, staring pitying at Nico.

"Was she human or …?"

"She was a teacup, like me," Nico miserably replied. "Only she was prettier. Not so dark. There were little fruits on her side, I think Mama said they were pomegranates."

Percy did not like where this was going, but he waited for Nico to say more. The little teacup sniffled.

"We were just playing. Hide and seek, like we use to when we were human. I thought it was would be funny so I hid in the china cabinet. Bianca climbed up to get me. But I was so high and she lost her balance. She slipped."

Percy's eyes widen in horror.

"She fell." Nico seemed to shake, the reflection of the flame flickering brightly on his dark porcelain. "She fell and she broke. Shattered."

He sniffled again.

"Athena was real quiet after that. She very carefully swept Bianca up and tried to repair her. We collected most of the pieces and Athena spend many long nights gently putting her back together. But they were just shards of porcelain. My sister was gone."

Nico swayed a little and Percy could not resisted reaching out and placing the teacup on his knee, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. Percy did not even know how to respond to that heartbreaking story. Nico sniffled again and leaned against Percy.

"Katie keeps telling me if the spell is ever broken Bianca should come back but I know she's wrong. My sister's dead, and even the reversal of this curse won't bring her back."

"Reversal of the curse?" Percy repeated. "The curse can be broken?"

"So Mama and Chiron claim," Nico hiccupped, snuggling into Percy's side. "But Athena doesn't think so."

"Nico, can you tell me about the curse?" Percy asked softly.

He did not want to upset the little teacup anymore, sadly nestled in Percy's side, but if the curse could be broken then maybe Percy could help fix it. So Nico and Lee and Katie could be kids again. So Dionysus could watch the children play again. So Athena would not stonify anymore unsuspecting creatures.

"Athena is very smart," Nico said, his voice muffled from his spot against Percy's shirt. "Maybe the smartest person ever. And she used to boast about it all the time. We got a lot of visitors here at the castle, people from all over the world who wanted to learn from Athena and use her library. If they donated a book, Athena would let them in. As she got older people starting challenging her. To chess competitions, debates, mathematical equations, everything and anything. And Athena could win them all. The King himself came to visit Athena once, and brought with him an entire cartful of books. She was so pleased.

"Mama said Athena was so happy then. She would hold herself all high and stuff, Chiron says it's called poise and grace. When she went to town, everybody would go out of their way to make her happy. Kiss up, like it would make a difference to Athena. She could see right through them, and sometimes – " Nico gave a hollow laugh – "she used to go off on them. She'd lecture them right in the middle of the town square, so everybody could watch their shame. And one day she confronted this one girl. It was the daughter of some aristocrat. They say the girl was super pretty, one of the prettiest girl in all of France.

"She thought her beauty made her better than other people. Even as a human, Athena was not beautiful. I don't really remember what she looked like before, but Mama says she was pleasant to look at. Just not, you know, pretty. I think someone once called her pretty in a simple, plain way. Athena did not care, she valued knowledge above all else anyway and her wisdom brought people from all over the country. Until one day the beautiful girl claimed that her beauty made her even better than Athena. And, well, you can imagine how well that went over."

Percy imagined Athena, losing her temper over Percy's simple insult at her name and grimaced. Yeah, he bet that did not go over well  _at all._

"She insulted the girl in the front of the whole town, like she had with so many people before. She figured out all the girl's insecurities and her secrets and she just rattled them off for everybody to hear. The girl was horrified. She ran off crying. Mama told Athena she shouldn't have done it. The girl's father was a powerful man. But Athena did not care. It stormed that night, a terrible heavy storm, and someone walked out of the thunder and lightning. It was the witch of Montauk."

"We have a witch?" Percy said, confused.

"Mama thinks we have more than one, but I don't know. I thought you lived in Montauk?"

"I do, but I only moved here a little while ago," Percy said, blinking. "I've never heard of any witch."

"Or maybe you just weren't paying attention," Nico snickered. Percy was glad to see his humor returning. Sad Nico was not one he knew how to deal with.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. The witch appeared. Athena took her to her study to talk. I don't know what happened, Athena doesn't really like to talk about it. All I know is that Mama and Chiron overheard the witch shouting about how Athena's hubris would be the downfall of herself and everything she held dear, and that if she didn't open her heart and understand how compassion and love could overrule logic then her fate would eternal."

"Then suddenly, everything looks so big and I felt funny. And well – "

"You turned into a teacup."

"I turned into a teacup," Nico grumbled. "A stupid little fragile teacup."

"None of that," Percy hushed, picking the teacup up and setting him down next to the slumbering garden trowel. "You're a very important useful teacup who needs to go to sleep."

"You're annoying, you know that?" Nico asked, but he settled down in the bundle of blankets.

"Yeah I know," Percy whispered, laying down next to the fire.

The flame flickered in the silence, casting warm oranges and reds across the room. His room did not seem as cold or sinister as the night before. Percy stared at the ceiling, mulling over the information Nico gave him. He felt terrible for the poor kid.

 _Could the curse be reversed_? Percy wondered. He did not know the first thing about witches, but weren't they kind of unreliable? And what did that whole bit about 'understanding how love and compassion could overrule logic' bit even mean? Vague. He wondered if he should bring it up to Athena tomorrow. Sure, she was kind of terrifying, but after Nico's story Percy almost felt bad for her.

She had spent the last four years with snakes for hair and a gaze that literally turned people to stone. She lost all her fame, her reputation. Percy had never even heard Athena's name whispered in town. Had the world completely forgotten about the wise young mistress of Mykene? (Then again, Percy had never heard of a witch of Montauk before so maybe he was not the best judge.)

The fire crackled softly. His eyes only half-open, Percy almost thought he saw the shadow of a person under his door. Feet lightly ghosted across the floor and hovered uncertainly, a hand reached for the handle. They vanished a moment later and Percy let sleep take him, sure he was simply imaging things.


	3. The Lake

Percy did not see much of the cursed Mistress of Mykene Castle in the following days. She was always present at breakfast, sipping on her tea and regarding him calmly from across the table. Their conversations were stilted and awkward, but at least civil. Percy was free (relatively speaking) to spend his days at his leisure. He looked after the kids most of the time. Sometimes they would just play, running around the castle, being merry and mischievous. On other days, Percy would help the unfortunate occupants of the curse castle.

He chopped wood sometimes. The strong storm from nights before had uprooted a once sturdy oak tree and Percy headed out early in the morning to deal with it. Over the next few days, he carefully split and cut up the heavy tree. Their woodpile now overflowed, with enough timber to last the entire winter. While he worked, Percy could feel the hidden gaze of Athena on his back. He would turn and find her hovering in the courtyard, her blood red robes billowing in the breeze as her covered eyes bored into his. He was not sure what to make of it, but he always smiled and waved. She did not wave back. Or smile.

Tasks that Maria and Chiron could not accomplish in their current condition, Percy did for them. He fixed the fence he crashed through that fateful night (under Athena's watchful eye least he decided to run). The garden had long since been overrun by weeds, Katie being too small to tend to it quick enough. Percy helped her clear a little section off, so she could at least plant a few flowers to brighten her day.

He also explored the castle. It was  _huge_ and had so many wings and staircases that he often feared he would get lost. Lee insisted he knew the castle like the back of his hand (you know, the one he did not  _have_ anymore), but it was Katie who Percy trusted to keep them on track.

Today he was wondering alone, however. Katie was trying to round up a few seeds for next year and it was not exactly riveting to follow the little trowel around while she dug for them. Maria detained Nico and Lee ran off earlier, leaving Percy to his own devices. Not that the man minded. He was exploring the west wing of the castle today. The paintings on the wall were creepy. That was the opinion Percy initially had on his first night and it still held today. There did not seem to be a happy one in the entire castle. They were all dark and dreary, and the portraits always glowered down at him. He made a face at a painting of a stern faced man dressed in furs before turning his attention to the other side of the room.

Two large wooden door stood before him, with large brass knobs in the shape of soaring eagles. Percy admired them for a second, they were much more pleasant to look at than the creepy paintings, before curiously opening one of the doors. As he stepped inside the large room beyond the double doors, Percy could not withhold a gasp.

He was in a library.

Percy had never actually stepped foot in a library before, but he was sure this was an extraordinarily large one. The room itself was bigger than Percy's entire cottage. The ceiling was at least twice his height. But there were rows and rows and rows of shelves completely stocked with books. Everywhere he turned, books.

"It's the biggest library in all of France."

Athena's voice seemed to come out of nowhere. Percy jumped, swiveling around to watch the cursed woman appear from behind a bookshelf. She had a thick book spread open in one hand and another tucked under her arm. Her face was blank, in what he had come to think of as her default expression.

"It's bigger than my house," Percy said, awed. "Have you read every book in here?"

It must have been a trick of the light because for a minute, Percy almost could have sworn Athena's lips twitched.

"I have not. I doubt there is enough time in even the longest life to read them all." Athena turned to regard her vast collection before slowly making her way over to his side. Percy determinedly remained where he was, not even flinching as her snakes eyed him suspiciously. He took solace in the fact that they at least weren't hissing at him.

"You are free to use my library," Athena declared.

Percy had a feeling this was a big deal for her. Had not Nico said something about books being more precious to her than anything else? Heat crept up Percy's neck but he forced himself to nod and sputter out:

"Oh, ah, thanks, that's ah, real great and nice of you."

"Cease your stuttering, a library is a quiet place," Athena instructed, yet the words lacked the bite they held when he first came to Mykene. In fact, if he did not know better, he would say she was amused. Percy shut his mouth with a snap regardless. Athena turned around, returning to her book as he watched her uncertainly. Percy took her departure as his opportunity to slip away. He was almost out the door when Athena twisted around, scowling.

"You are not going to engage my hospitality? Few have ever set foot in such a complex and well stocked library, and here I offer its secrets freely to you and you turn away?" She angrily asked, her snakes snapping up to hiss threateningly at him.

Percy froze, feeling his blush creep into his cheeks as he tried to reason.

"No, ah, I mean, that's very – "

"Speak plainly, I detest your stuttering." Athena snapped, and this time there was real heat in her words. "An ill plenty of my volumes could curb should you care to better yourself."

"I can't read," Percy finally snapped back, irritated. His face felt like it was on fire, but now it was as much from anger as embarrassment. He glared at Athena, who drew up short at his call. Her mouth fell open a little as he continued to snap at her, "I'm just a farmer. I didn't have the luxury of a big library or the time to read. I've never even held a book before, how the hell am I supposed to read one?"

Athena's shock was clear on her face, but Percy could not even appreciate her blatant emotions as he turned, fuming, to leave the library. He stormed down the hall, kicking at the floor and trembling with anger. How dare she treat him with such contempt? He spent his entire life trying to keep his little family alive, he didn't have time for reading. Not that it would matter even if he did, peasants did not exactly have access to books. And that damn clerk didn't even entertain the idea of teaching him during Percy's brief time under his tutelage.

His temper cooled as he stalked through the silent castle and eventually he came to a stop as his emotions wound down. He took a deep breath to calm himself. It was okay, it did not matter what Athena thought. There was no shame in not knowing how to read; plenty of people didn't know how to read. Percy groaned and rubbed at his eyes with the meat of his hand, resolving to put the matter out his mind. Turning around, he thought he should go see what Dionysus was up too (the wine glass was always good at distracting people from the matters on hand) when he paused. He did not know where he was. Percy turned, eyeing the statues and paintings and doorways around him. He had no idea where in the castle he was.

Oops.

"Stupid," he muttered to himself, resisting the urge to bash his head against one of the ugly paintings on the unfamiliar wall.

"Percy."

 _Great,_ Percy thought sourly as the owner of the voice walked towards him. Of all the people who could have found him, it had to be Athena. She still carried a book under her arm. He tried not to sulk as she approached him.

"I can teach you," were the next words out of Athena's mouth, which was so far from what Percy expected to hear he simply blinked at her.

"Teach me what?" Percy asked dumbly, "how not to get lost in your castle?"

"You're lost?" Athena asked and her snakes seemed to laugh at him. He scowled. "Regardless, that was not my meaning. To read. I can teach you to read."

Percy wondered if this was another one of her round about ways of apologizing. He thought it was.

"Really?" He asked, frowning suspiciously at her, "You'd teach me how to read?"

"Unless you'd like the teapot to teach you," Athena deadpanned.

Percy could not help but laugh. "Was that a joke? Did you just tell a joke?"

"Of course not," Athena denied immediately but Percy just grinned at her. She moved on before he could interject, "Do you want to learn to read or not?"

"You have this strange habit of twisting everything around so I become the bad guy," Percy huffed, more amused than actually insulted. "Yes. That's be awesome."

"I am doing society a favor; you desperately need to improve your vocabulary," Athena sighed but Percy got the feeling she was actually amused. If the gentle almost laughter from the snakes were anything to go by at least.

"Come along," she instructed and she carefully led him back to the library, pointing landmarks out so he would not loss his way again.

So started a routine. They would have breakfast together, where their conversations became more amiable and two-sided, then Percy would either chop wood or help around the castle, before showing up at the library around midday. Reading, Percy discovered, was  _hard._ Athena made it look so easy, but the letters hurt his eyes and all the combinations hurt his head. Athena was surprisingly patient with him.

"A-and so," Percy clumsily read, squinted intensely at the open book on his lap, "and so the l-little?"

He glanced up Athena for confirmation. The Mistress of Mykene nodded in affirmation much to his relief.

"And so the little…boy. And so the little boy – " Percy frowned at the next word, frustrated. "T – Tah – Toh – "

"Try sounding each syllable out," Athena suggested, her head bent over her own book, spread out on the table before her as she made notes on a separate piece of paper. Percy wondered what for. "Is it a word you've run into before?"

"I don't think so," Percy said, a furrow in his brow as he ran his fingers over the troublesome word. "It's got the letter 'T'. That one make the 'tah' sound doesn't it?"

"Usually," Athena agreed with a wave of her ink dipped feather, "Very good. What next?"

"Um, the one that makes the 'huh' sound?"

"Is that a fact or do you want me to come look?" Athena asked. Her words could have been harsh, but they were surprisingly understanding as she paused in her work.

"No, it's the 'huh' one." Percy said with conviction.

"Remember what I told you? About the change in sound when some letters, such as 'S', 'T' and 'C' when followed by an 'H'?"

"'H' is the letter that makes the 'huh' sound right?"

"That is correct." Athena gently marked her place in her book with a scrap of paper and walked over to his side. Her snakes were on their best behavior, no hissing or threatening. One blinked almost comically at him, its little forked tongue testing the air. It was kind of cute. Percy shook his head at the thought. This castle was making him crazy, he decided.

"When a 'T' is followed by an 'h' it makes the 'thhe', sound," Athena said, carefully drawing out the sound. "Such as 'thhh-roat. Or thhh-ink."

"Oh," Percy said, nodding slowly. "Oh okay. Or thhh-row."

"Just like throw," Athena agreed, nodding. The movement cause her snakes to bounce a little, and their little heads swayed hypnotically. "Do you want to try that word again?"

"Yeah okay," Percy said, returning his gaze to the book and away from her snakes. "And so the little boy th – tho – "

"Mistress?"

Athena scowled, her snakes' calm manner exciting in a second to hiss menacingly at the intruder. Chiron waited by the door.

"Chiron you are interrupting," Athena snapped, obviously displeased.

"I am sorry," Chiron said, and he actually did sound regretful. "But we called both of you for dinner an hour ago and it is getting cold."

"It can be warmed," Athena muttered. "Return to the kitchen, we will be along shortly."

Chiron slipped out the door with another apology. Percy sighed and shut the book. It would have to wait until tomorrow then. He did not want to stop, he was so close to figuring out this sentence. But his head did hurt and he was hungry. He stretched, reaching his hands towards the ceiling as he arched enough to hear his back give a satisfying  _crack_. When he turned, he was surprised to see Athena regarding him from behind her dark glasses.

"Are you feeling alright?" Percy asked in concern, noticing her face seemed a little flushed.

She cleared her throat, glancing away. "I am quite alright. Come, our dinner grows cold."

As Percy started to put his book away Athena added, her voice soft, "You can keep that, if you'd like. To look over later in the evening or in the morning."

"Really?" Percy asked, glancing at her in surprise. Athena loved her books. This library was her life, her books were the only remnant of what used to bring her fame and pleasure. She hoarded them jealously. But she would let him take one? He smiled warmly at her, tucking the book against his side. "I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"I do not doubt that," Athena surprised him by saying. Surprised herself too, if he read the flash of emotion that rapidly crossed her face correctly. She straightened, clearing her throat. "But if you catch my book on fire, Jackson, you will join my collection in the courtyard."

Percy grinned, holding the library door open for his companion. "And I'd be the prettiest one there."

Her lips twitched as Percy watched in fascination. She had almost smiled several times over the past few weeks. Percy was determined to get a real one out of her one of these days. Dinner was a casual affair, with Lee and Chiron carrying most of the conversation (that is, Lee babbling on while Chiron tried to check his boisterous ramblings). After dinner, Athena disappeared into the quiet of the castle while Percy brought his little entourage of cursed children up to his room.

Their little nest of blankets and pillows still rested before the fireplace. The kids took great pleasure in the simple bundle, and as there was so little joy in their lives, Percy suffered the hard floor with a valiant silence. Someone tended the fire while Percy was away and a fire still flickered brilliantly as he set the children now.

"Oh, are you going to read us a story?" Lee asked excitedly when Percy brought out the book Athena loaned him.

"Ah," Percy said, aware that the heat rising to his cheeks had nothing to do with the fire crackling beside him. He sat far enough away from the flame that its light would aid his reading without endangering the precious pages Athena held so dear. "N-no. I, ah, don't really know how. Athena is teaching me."

"Oh," Lee seemed surprised, "how does a grown man no – ow what was that for!"

"Hush Lee," Katie scolded, her trowel effectively extinguishing his flame. "Sit down and keep your mouth shut."

"What did I - ?"

"Nico, did I tell you the time when Lee got himself caught behind the stove?" Katie deflected, turning to the teacup.

_"You promised to never mention that incident!"_

Percy smiled as the three dissolved into mutual bickering and giggling. They all seemed so much more lively and childlike than those first few nights. Certain that the children were well occupied, Percy opened up his book and determinedly stared at the sentence that gave him so much grief.

"And so the little boy," Percy read to himself. While the antics of the children should have made it harder for him to concentrate, the background noise actually seemed to help him. He struggled through the sentence, sounding out words and phrases. His pride would not let him ask the children for help, and they kindly left him to his own devices.

"And so the little boy t-thought he had dis- discoh –  _discovered_ the tr _ue_ m-meaning of fr-fr _ii –_ free – frien – friend! Friend- _shh._ Friend- _shh_ ip. Friendship! And so the little boy thought he had discovered the true meaning of friendship." Percy read excited.

"I've got it! I've got it! 'And so the little boy thought he had discovered the true meaning of friendship' that's an actual sentence that makes sense. I read that!"

He looked up excited. The kids were giggling and playing among themselves, uttering ignorant of his astounding revelation. Percy felt giddy. He felt on top of the world. He could do anything. He read a sentence!

"Be right back," he told the kids, scrambling to his feet and all but dashing from the room.

"Percy, dear where are you running off to in such a hurry?" Maria tsked, "You're going break your neck."

"'And so the little boy thought he had discovered the true meaning of friendship'," Percy excitedly read.

"Sorry dear?"

"The sentence, that's what the sentence says!" Percy grinned, plopping down next to the confused teapot to show her the page, "I read a sentence!"

"That's nice my dear," she placated.

Undeterred by her lack of enthusiasm Percy eagerly asked, "Where's Athena?"

"In the west wing dear, but – "

"Thanks," Percy said, taking off towards the west wing and leaving the still talking teapot behind. He bounded up the stairs two at a time and skidded around a corner as he searched for Athena. Movement caught his eye and he twisted around, almost losing his footing as he changed his direction.

"I read it!" Percy called excitedly as he burst into the room.

Athena almost jumped. She turned to him with a frown as he skidded to a halt before her, gleefully reading from the open book in his hands. "'And so the little boy thought he had discovered the true meaning of friendship'!"

He peered up from the book, grinning so wide it hurt. Athena stared at him. The esteemed Mistress of Mykene looked utterly confused. Her mouth opened and then closed. Wordlessly, she held her hand out and Percy handed over the book.

"That is indeed what it says," Athena said finally and Percy gave a whoop of joy.

"I read it!"

"Yes, yes you did," Athena confirmed and then the strangest thing happened. The corner of her lips turned up. Like, completely pulled up. Both sides, curling up as she gazed at him through her opaque glasses. Athena smiled. Athena  _smiled._

"That's a smile!" Percy gleefully accused, pointing at the damning evidence on her face.

"No it's not," Athena said, attempting to cover said smile but her efforts seemed counterproductive as she smiled even wider, gleaming white teeth becoming visible.

"Oh no, that is definitely a smile," Percy cackled happily. "That's a smile. I made you smile. No, don't stop smiling!"

Athena managed to compose herself, the smile vanishing from her face, yet a happy glow seemed to remain. Her snakes swayed of their own accord, and Percy found their flickering tongues and small eyes to be peaceful and comforting rather than frightening.

"Congratulations, you read a sentence," Athena praised. Percy puffed up, grinning.

He was so excited to show Athena what he read that he had not paid attention to his surroundings, but, heart calmed and ego stroked, Percy took the time to examine them now. They were in a parlor. There were more bookshelves in this room, but the books here all had bookmarks sticking out of them, as though often their mistress relieved them of their shelves and perused their pages. Stacks of paper and wells of ink covered every flat surface. A wide window stood behind him, the curtains pulled back to reveal the entire courtyard with all its eerie inhabitance. A depressing sight. On a pedestal at the back of the room, however, encased in a protective glass dome, was a teacup.

The teacup was dark, like Nico and Maria, but little red pomegranates could be seen on its surface. It almost looked perfect, but as Percy focused on it, he could barely make out thousands of little crisscrossed white lines marring its surface. Bianca. Nico's beloved sister, painstakingly put back together only for her soul, her life, to never return.

 _Why?_ Percy wondered, turning back to face Athena, who was still staring down at the pages in the book.  _Why would she want the constant reminder of her curse here in her study?_

"Now what does the rest of the page say?" Athena asked, calling his attention back to her as she held the book out for Percy to reclaim.

"The rest of the page?" Percy asked, his smile vanishing in an instant as he accepted the book. He looked down at the object in his hands, at the entire page full of little black letters and words in horror. "But it took me forever to read one sentence!"

"One sentence on one page," Athena agreed amiably. "Now you have to move on to the rest of the sentences on this page, and then the next page, and then the – "

"I'm going to bed," Percy declared, shutting the book with a snap as he turned on his heels. As he swept dramatically out of the room, he could have sworn he heard Athena laugh.

* * *

"Walk with me," was Athena's greeting after breakfast a few days later.

"Okay," Percy easily agreed, tucking his hand in the warm pockets of the Mykene robes he wore.

Autumn currently had the country in her warmth-stealing grasp and cheerfully banished the sun behind her gray clouds, bringing with her the relentless wind, stirring up the colorful leaves she shook from once strong trees. Percy walked side by side with Athena as she led him away from the house and into the dark forest beyond, too cheerful to let autumn's cold arrival ruin his mood. They did not talk as they walked, but traveled in comfortable silence. Percy never really was comfortable with silence, but Athena's presence at his side and the almost melodious hiss of her snakes set him at ease. Besides, the view was nice.

"I rarely come out this far," Athena confessed. "Since the horse."

"Oh," Percy said, turning to look at his companion. Somewhere along the line, in the weeks since Percy arrived at Mykene, Athena had transformed from a frightening menace to…to his friend. Athena was his friend. Percy enjoyed her company, he loved to tease her, and he was certain now that he would do just about anything to make her smile. "But that wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it?" Athena murmured.

"No," Percy said firmly. "And you seemed to have pissed off the most malicious witch in existence. Who curses children? Or other innocent bystanders? And why make your eyes turned people to stone? That just punishes other people."

"Or keeps me isolate." Athena mildly objected.

"Stop it, I'm trying to defend you. It was stupid. Besides, it's not like you did anything that bad."

"I didn't do anything wrong, I just evoked the ire of a petty witch," Athena dismissed.

"You were arrogant and cruel," Percy pointed out, something Athena seemed determined to ignore even after four years of the curse. "But whatever. It's not 'eyes that turn living creatures to stone' worthy."

"Perhaps you should mention that to the witch," Athena suggested dryly. Percy laughed.

"Perhaps I will," he teased back. "Athena, where are we going?"

"There was something I thought you might like to see," Athena said vaguely. She parted the branches before them and stepped aside. "Here. Take a look."

Glancing at her curiously, Percy slipped passed her and into a clearing. The trees diverged to create a thin oval in the forest. In the center of the clearing was a lake. The surface gleamed in the early light, sparkling brighter than the stars at night. The water was clear and deeply blue, an indescribable color of unbelievable beauty and grace that man could never hope to properly recreate. It was breathtaking.

Dazed, Percy walked up to the body of water. The surface was so smooth and clear he could see his reflection, as flawless as the one in a mirror. He watched Athena approached behind him from the crystal reflection before him. She did not say anything, but his mouth opened and closed. And opened and closed as words utterly escaped him.

"It helps me think," Athena said, breaking the silence. "There's a certain peace here that cannot be replicated. Untouchable beauty."

She seemed to stare at him as she spoke and he looked up from the pool to meet her covered gaze.

"It's – " he could not find the words. "Thank you for bringing me here."

That earned him a ghost of a smile. They sat down at the edge of the lake, and Percy dared to break the serenity of the scene by stripping his shoes off and dipping his feet inside. The water was cool, but the changing season had not yet stolen all its warmth.

"You are very good with the children," Athena said. "Since the very beginning you gravitated towards them."

"I felt bad for them," Percy said, kicking his feet in the water enough to send ripples across its surface. "They didn't ask for any of this, and they're just kids you know? They remind me of these kids back in Montauk – Thalia and Jason. Their dad left before Jason was even born and their mom drinks her life away. They're always on the street, hungry and cold. And I know what it feels like to be hungry and cold and it sucks and they're just kids so it sucks worse. I just wish I could help them."

He shrugged.

"Admirable," Athena murmured.

"Do you ever think about going back into town?" Percy asked. "I mean, as long as you keep your glasses on, you can't hurt anyone right?"

"People would take one look at me and run," Athena said flatly.

"Well I mean, the snakes are a little weird at first, but they're actually kind of cute."

Hundreds of little black eyes fixed on him in confusion as their mistress frowned at him.

"Yeah, I'm onto you," he teased, "They're like adorable little reptilian puppies. They hiss when you're mad and practically hum and dance when you're happy."

"Sometimes I worry for your sanity," Athena said, turning away. "Besides, I do not expect you to understand. It is not a problem for you."

"What isn't?" Percy asked, confused as she pulled out her bag.

"Appearances."

"Men normally don't care, at least not as much as women." Percy mused.

"I mean you in general." Percy bet she was rolling her eyes under her dark glasses.

"Right. I'm pretty chill."

"No. I mean," Athena seemed frustrated, pulling out their books from her bag and turning to frown at him. At his confused look, she motioned towards his body. "When you look – "

"Well usually I look like a beggar." Percy said, glancing down at the clothes she gestured towards. When he looked back up at Athena, her cheeks almost seemed a little pink to him.

"That's still… It's difficult to understand for someone who meets society's idea of beauty."

"I do what?" Percy asked, not understanding.

"Never mind." Athena dismissed, waving her hand. "It would not work. One day my glasses would fall or something would go wrong. Here – "

She handed him his book. Percy pushed it back at her, pulling his legs out of the water to stretch out on the ground. "Read to me," he insisted instead.

"You are becoming increasingly literate, it would be foolish for me to read to you instead of you reading for yourself," Athena objected.

"Yeah…but I like listening to you read."

Athena pressed her lips together. "Do you?"

He thought she would push the point, but instead she opened the book and began to read. Percy grinned and closed his eyes, letting her voice wash over him. They stayed out by the lake until the evening, sometimes reading sometimes talking, but generally just enjoying each other's company. They migrated during the hours. The top of Percy's head currently was pressed against Athena's thigh, he could feel her heat searing through her robes. She sat next to him, reading from a book Percy did not understand but her steady voice was soothing. She must have felt his gaze for she paused in her reading to peer down at him.

Her snakes fell forward, framing her pale face with their darks ones. Percy figured the image should have been frightening, but instead it made his chest warm and a smile titled on his lips. A surprised answering smile reluctantly curled up on her own. Percy got the crazy urge to close the distance between the two, to reach forward and cup her jaw, to bring her face down to his and feel her smile against his own. The urge was so strange and strong that he did not know what to do.

"We should head back," Athena said, straightening up before he could decide how to act. "It is late."

"Oh, right," Percy said, blinking as she stood up and brushed off her clothes. He slowly got to his feet, looking out at the lake one last time. Its surface had smoothed back over with the removal of his intrusion. He could see the perfection reflection of himself and Athena, standing side by side, in the clear water.

She held her out, more in gesture he knew, but he took the opportunity to slip his arm through hers. She seemed to start, but did not pull away. They retraced their steps through the forest in this manner, arms linked together. The others had gathered in the courtyard, anxiously awaiting their return.

"You could have stayed out longer," Maria said, her voice bright and accent unusually thick. "We would not want to intrude on your – "

"We are here now, it is of no consequence," Athena cut her off. She slowly pulled her arm away from Percy, who reluctantly let her go. The cursed objects seemed to track the movement. Athena swept ahead, "I presume dinner is ready?"

It was. When he walked into the kitchen, Percy ignored his usual seat across from Athena (which was a change from the first few weeks when he sat across the entire table) but rather chose the seat directly next to her. He did not fully understand, but something changed at the lake. Whatever others might think, Percy was no idiot. He felt in, in his gut, in his mind, in his heart. The water may be rough, but Percy was never one to hide from a storm. His elbow bumped against Athena's. She gripped her fork so tight her knuckles turned white.

Percy sighed when Athena excused herself the moment dinner was over. He watched her disappear down the hall, her robe swishing behind her.

"Chin up, dearie, she'll come around. She's just confused." Maria said sympathetically. Percy both did and didn't know what she was talking about.

"Yeah," he said dejectedly.

"The children will help me clean up then they will join you," Maria said, shuffling off.

"Right," Percy muttered, watching her go. He made his way back to his room, his footsteps echoing in the deserted halls. His fire still flickered softly in his room, but it lost its vigor and strength so he knelt beside it and tried to coax the flame to a greater strength. His door opened.

"Just give me a minute and I can have this fire roaring again," Percy promised.

Athena cleared her throat. Percy glanced up in surprise, dropping the stick he used to stir the fire as he stared at her. Athena never entered his room. The room, which always seemed so excessively large to him, suddenly felt very small and intimate. The fire cast a warm glow on her face, catching the scales of her snakes and contracting beautifully with their dark skin.

"Athena."

"I – " Athena started, but her brow furrowed and no more words were forthcoming. Percy wipped his soot covered hands on his pants and stood, carefully stepping over the pile of blankets and pillows to stand before the woman.

"I don't know what you want from me," she admitted softly, and Percy knew that the admission was painful to her. "And I do not understand. You do not ask for money, or the splendor of my castle. I have seen you appreciate beauty, yet you do not hold it dear. And you find beauty in the strangest of things. The strangest of things excite you. You are compassionate to the strangest of people. I do not understand."

Percy shrugged. "I don't get what's there to understand. I'm just me. People have always said I'm strange."

The lingering gazes of his fellow townsfolk had no gone unnoticed by Percy, nor their whisperings behind his back.

"What do you want from me?" Athena repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

Percy stared at her solemn face and took a chance. He reached a hand out, taking a step forward to close the distance between them. His foot accidently connected with a bundle of clothes on the ground and something hard clanged against him. Drawn by the sound, his eyes flickered down, his hand hovering just before Athena's face. It was a bottle. A medicine bottle.

"Styx," Percy breathed in horror, bending over to pick the bottle up. Ma's medicine. It was his mother's medicine. "Ma. I completely forgot about my mother. Oh gods, I'm the worst son ever. Oh gods, what if Gabe didn't get her medicine? Who's tending to her sick bed? Oh gods. She could be dead, my mama could be dead and I wasn't even thinking about her."

Panic firmly took root in his mind, numbing his senses as he repeated a litany of 'oh gods'. He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name.

"Percy."

There was a hand on his shoulder. Percy blinked at its owner. Athena's face was expressionless. It was the first time Percy could ever remember her reaching out and touching him. It was enough to momentarily silence his dire thoughts.

"Go to her."

"Yeah, yeah that's a good idea," Percy babbled, wondering why he did not think of that. He turned around, grabbing a discarded coat off the floor and tugging it on. He had to get home, he had to make sure his ma was alright because she  _had_ to be alright. She  _had_ to be because he did not know what he would do if she was not. He swung open his bedroom door, blinking in surprise when he found the others waiting outside, looking vaguely guilty. They pulled him out of his head enough though to turn around.

Athena stood in the middle of his room, her jaw clenched and hands balled into tight fists.

"Wait but – " Percy stammered, his thoughts spinning nauseatingly fast and anxiety swirling painfully in his stomach. "But can I bring her back home – back here I mean? Would, would that be okay?"

Percy was not sure when, or even how, but somewhere along the line Mykene had become  _home_ to him, more so than the little cottage outside Montauk or any other place before.

Athena faced him. Her mouth moved silently and he dimly was aware that once again he had surprised her.

"Yes," she said finally, her voice slightly breathless, "yes of course. Maria is probably a better physician than any fool in Montauk."

"Thank you," Percy said, relief spreading through him. "I have to go."

He dashed down the hall then, hurtling the baffled cursed objects as he raced away. He only prayed Sally was alright. He threw open the door and was several steps outside before something else occurred to him. He shouted back in the doorway:

"How do you get to Montauk from here?"

* * *

Percy never ran so fast in his entire life. Finding the path to Gabe's house was easy enough with Athena's detailed instructions, and he took down the dirt road as fast as his legs could carry him. His heart pounded painfully in his throat and it stuttered frantically when the house came into view. The gate he was supposed to fix weeks ago was rusted and hanging awkwardly; Percy plowed right through it without a care. He did not plan on hanging around to fix the tattered remains anyway. He threw open the farmhouse door, stumbling as he tried to come to a halt in the little space.

"Ma?!" Percy cried desperately, his eyes rapidly darting around the dingy house. Everything came to a halt as they landed on his mother, standing pale in the middle of the room. The shock at finding her  _standing_ barely even registered before Percy crossed the room and enveloped her in his arms, trembling and almost sobbing in relief. She was okay. She was alive.

"Percy," she breathed, her voice fainter than he remembered. Her voice wavered and she pulled back to take his face in her hands. There were tears in her eyes.

"Percy my baby," she gasped, tears leaking out of her eyes as she gripped his face almost painfully. Her eyes traveled over his features, and he noticed she was trembling as well.

"Shh, it's okay," he tried to say, gently running his hands over her thin, cold arms. "It's okay Ma, I'm okay."

"My baby," she sobbed. "You're alive. You're alive."

"Shh, I'm alive," Percy soothed, guilt eating him alive as she collapsed against him, his arms completely engulfing her frail body.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated in her hair, rocking her back and forth. "But are you okay? Have you been getting your medicine? You're skinnier, have you been eating? Have you had food? Enough firewood? Is Gabe keeping the house warm?"

He fretted desperately.

"Silly boy," his mother gave a watery laugh, her fingers digging into his back. "I thought you were dead. Nobody could find you. The entire village has been searching for you."

"Really?" Percy's brow furrowed. He honestly had not thought that many people would care.

"Hephaestus has been very kind. He brought me food and medicine. Said everything cost your weekly wages and it was the least he could do."

 _What a good man Hephaestus,_ Percy thought fondly.

"Gods I was so worried," he groaned. Sally slapped him, her thin hand barely tapping his shoulders.

"Excuse me?  _You_ were worried? What about your poor mother? I was worried sick. I couldn't move for the first few weeks after you went missing and all I could do was lie there in bed and cry because my baby was missing and there was nothing I could do."

"I'm sorry," Percy repeated.

"Where were you?" Sally pulled away to take his face in her hands again. "They said the Mykene monster took you."

"She's not a monster," Percy automatically replied. "I mean, sure, the whole snakes for hair thing is freaky at first, and she's literally got a killer gaze, and yeah she did kind of lock me up at first. But I think it was just because she was lonely and angry, 'cause she's actually really great when you get to know her. She's like, the smartest person in the world, and actually secretly funny. She also cares a lot about the well-being of other people but doesn't know how to show it?"

 _Also I think I might be falling for her?_ Was on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed that admission before it could frighten his poor mother. Or himself.

"She…kidnapped you but she's not all that bad?" Sally repeated slowly.

"It's complicated," Percy said. "But trust me okay? I'll explain on the way."

"On the way where?'

"To the castle of course," Percy grinned, "It's wonderful Ma. I'm pretty sure I'm not even a captive anymore. Athena says you're welcomed anytime, and Maria knows medicine so – "

Percy," his mother interrupted, "Percy, when baron's daughter came back from one of her trips to the east, she said she saw the Mykene monster holding you hostage in the castle. The village rounded up a rescue party. They are heading for the castle  _now._ "

Percy stared at his other in horror. A rescue party? More like a mob. Athena's impassive pale face flashed before his eyes, the stone statures in her courtyard, Bianca's broken and shattered body.

"They can't, they won't understand," Percy panicked, pulling away.

"Go warn them," his mother sighed, her eyes drawn and worried as her boney fingers clung to his arms.

"I'll be back," he promised, "I'll be back and you can meet them all, I know you'll love them. I'm sorry – "

"Percy, just promise me you know what you are doing," His mother whispered, "and that she is worth it."

"She's worth it," Percy vowed. "They all are."

He kissed his mother's cheek. "I'll try to be back before dawn."

As much as he loathed to leave his mother so soon, Percy's fear for Athena and the others was stronger. Sally could survive a few more hours without him. As he raced back to the castle, Percy wondered what on earth could have possessed Montauk to stage an intervention on his account now. He had been gone for almost an entire season. Besides, he did not think the village even  _liked_ him all that much. Had Medusa actually seen Mykene? Had she honestly thought Percy to be in danger?

It did not really matter. Mykene was in danger now.

As the castle came into sight, Percy could hear shouting and the light of torches. The gate he meticulously fixed a few weeks earlier now hung awkwardly, the hinges torn clean off. The castle door was flung open and Percy dashed inside.

The castle was alive with angry villagers:

"Find the monster!"

"Where is the monster?"

"She turned the animals to  _stone!"_

"She'll turn us all into stone!"

"Find the monster!"

"No, no, no," Percy chanted, pushing his way through the angry throng of villagers. If any of them realized the very boy they sought for was among them, they did not let on. They were too lost in fear and anger to realize it. They set their torches to the soft fabric of the tapestries, spreading flame and destruction on the beautiful castle. Shattered glass crunched under his feet and Percy felt vaguely ill.

"Nico? Lee? Katie?" Percy called fearfully, pushing his way towards his room.

"Percy?"

Percy almost missed the soft voice, but he whirled around and stared until he noticed a movement behind a cabinet door. He flung the cabinet open and found Maria and Nico huddled together, Katie trembling at their side. Dionysus stood protectively in front of Lee, oddly depraved of his usual wine.

"Thank the gods," he breathed, relieved to find Nico, Maria and Dionysus in one piece. "We gotta get you out of here before someone breaks you."

"What about Athena?" Katie asked fearfully as he lifted them out of the cabinet and held them close.

"Athena can look after herself, she's a big girl," Percy said, although he was not totally convinced. Mobs were violent and unpredictable; Athena could be in serious trouble. "Where's Chiron?"

"I don't know where Chiron is, he disappeared to find Athena," Maria said, her accent especially thick as Percy slipped out a side door. He could see villagers in the courtyard, shaking and bashing the stone statues in a frenzy of fear and rage.

"But he's  _flammable,_ " Percy despaired, gently setting the objects down on the soft grass. "Here, I have to go look for him and try to get Athena out of there before they find her okay? Most of the people are inside so you probably won't get trampled, but stay somewhere safe okay?"

"I'll look after them," Maria promised, "Go."

Percy nodded, hesitating just a moment longer before heading back inside to the madness. Nobody paid him any mind, too lost in their chaos as he ducked through the passages Athena taught him. Where would she be?

Her private study, Percy thought. That's where Athena would be. He only hoped he could find Chiron on the way. Athena's study was at the top of the castle, beyond where most of the villagers laid siege, and Percy raced up the stairwell before they decided to climb higher.

Her study doors had been pried open. Panic gripped Percy's heart as he squeezed through them. Athena stood in the middle of the room and across from her was, of all people, Medusa Gorgon, one of Hephaestus' lethal swords in her hand.

"Athena," he said, faltering in the strange silence of the room. Both women turned to him, identical looks of surprise on their faces. "Are you alright?"

"Percy," Athena breathed. Her very being seemed to relax at the sight of him, "I am uninjured."

"No," Medusa said, her wide eyes trained on him. "No, this isn't what's supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. You were supposed to hate her. You were supposed to hate her and escape and tell the village about the horrid monster of Mykene. Then I would lead a siege on the castle and we would kill her, and you would be so grateful you'd have to marry me. You aren't supposed to side with her. You aren't supposed to  _like_ her. This is wrong, this is so wrong. She promised."

"What?" Percy asked, horrified by her little deranged fantasy.

"You're the one who called the witch," Athena said, turning back to regard Medusa from behind her dark glasses. "I should have realized that."

"She's the girl you scorned," Percy realized.

"She is."

"You called the witch?" Percy asked, outraged as he turned on Medusa. "Do you have any idea what you did? There were  _children_ in this castle."

"This isn't how it was supposed to happen," Medusa whispered again, her knuckles white as she clung to her sword.

Behind him, Percy could hear the sound of the mob growing closer. "We don't have time for this," he said, holding a hand out to Athena. "Come on Athena, we have to go before they reach us."

Athena did not hesitate to take his hand, her cool fingers wrapping around his own as he pulled her to his side. She smiled, a small smile just for him and he grinned back.

"Come on," he said, pulling her with him.

"No!" Medusa snarled, and suddenly she lunged at them. Athena neatly intercepted her, pulling her hand away from Percy to catch the girl around the middle and tear the sword from her grip, tossing both human and metal to the floor in an expert disarming move. The sharp movement jarred her, however, as Medusa's weak struggles knocked her back a step. Athena's glasses clattered to the floor.

Percy did not have time to close his eyes as Athena's eyes met his own. Her eyes were gray. Percy wondered if that was a cruel twisted joke by the gods. But gods, they were beautiful as well, wisdom and intelligence hidden in their gray depths. They were wide in horror, her mouth open and face vulnerable as panic settled over her face.

Percy felt cold. He could not move, could not close his eyes or turn his head. He could not even wiggle a finger. He was trapped, staring at Athena's horrified vintage. A strange stiffness settled upon him, a heaviness unlike he had ever felt before. Time moved impossibly slow, every second amplified and lengthened to an almost painful extent. Percy heard everything, felt everything, saw everything with agonizing clarity. Athena's eyes were ever widening, the gray of her irises boring into him.

Percy could not breathe. The cold had left him, or perhaps he simply could not feel it anymore. Athena's hand reached for his face and although he longed to feel her against him one last time, he knew she moved too slowly. She would never reach him in time.  _It isn't your fault, it was an accident,_ he thought fiercely. Athena could not blame herself. He tried to impart this sentiment in his eyes, desperately pushing the thought at those wide eyes.

"I-I l-lo- _ve_ ," Percy's throat did not want to work, his voice did not sound like his own. But he had to say it. He had to let her know. Black crowded in his vision, forcing the world until all he could see was the gray of Athena's eyes, "yo – "


	4. The Statue

The castle was on fire. The rampaging villagers below pillaged, destroyed and plundered Athena's ancestral house. The frightened and enraged barbarians found their way up her secret passage and pounded on her door, their calls as harsh and cruel as their fists on her door. But none of that mattered: Athena had seen the ever changing and expressive green fade from Percy Jackson's eyes. No amount of horror, loss or death could have prepared her for this moment. She felt nothing. She felt everything. She reached up to cup his face. In the short time it took her to raise her arms from her side to his face, his warm, open vintage was cold stone.

Her fingers trembled as they ran over his cold, unmoving features. The stone had perfectly preserved his unworldly beauty. That had been her first thought that night when she came down to find a stranger in her castle, before she lost her temper. Percy looked like a creature out of a story book, a being of indescribable beauty straight from the white pages of an alluring fantasy. A siren, with his swirling green eyes that darkened with the onset his temper and shone brighter than the stars with his joy. Even deprived of their vivid color, his stone eyes still sung to her. His hand was outstretched, fingers splayed, as they were last when she took her hand from his. The hand he so willingly held out for her, Athena, to claim. His lips were parted, his final words echoing in the suffocating space:

_I love you._

_I love you._

Her shaking fingers traced his hard lips. Wrong. All wrong. Pale tendrils obscured her vision but she could not make herself move her hand from his face to brush them away. Her door flew open, cracking and splintering under the combined weight of the villagers. They spilled into her study, but still she did not move. She could not move.

_Percy._

People were shouting. Someone was crying.

"Where is the beast? Where is the monster?"

 _I am here,_ Athena thought bitterly, her fingers curling around Percy's lifeless face. She did not care anymore. They could kill her, and she would not fight.

"Medusa! Medusa! Oh mercy! Our baron's daughter has turned to stone." A voice lamented. "And look here, the young Mister Percy stands as well, cold and unfeeling. What evil could wreak such terror on one so beautiful and kind? Gods have mercy on his soul."

Athena closed her eyes.

"Out of the way, pardon me, I must tend to the Mistress. Mistress Athena, Mistress Athena!" Chiron's joyful voice reached her ear. Athena wanted to lash out at him. How dare he sound so happy and joyful when Percy laid so cold and gray beneath her fingers?

"Mistress Athena – oh."

Athena opened her eyes as a person stopped at her side. Chiron stood beside her, eyes wide in grief as he took in the sight before him. He met her gaze.

Chiron met her gaze.

The  _human_ Chiron, with thinning brown hair and a scruffy beard, brown eyes staring mournfully at her. Human. Meeting her eyes.

It took Athena an inappropriately long time to understand the implications. The blonde tendrils in her eyes were hair.  _Her hair._ A trembling hand reached forward to tug on the locks. Real, soft, blonde hair. Not writhing angry snakes. The curse was broken.

_I love you._

"He broke the curse." Athena did not remember speaking the words, yet they left her mouth. They tasted like ash.

"Mistress Athena, Mistress Athena, we thought you lost, yet here you stand so sad and true. Tell us, have you seen the Mykene Monster?"

Athena did not move as the villagers addressed her. What could she say? But more importantly, what did it matter? With a pained sigh, Chiron reached out to gently lay a hand on Percy's stone shoulder before turning to address the crowd for her. She did not know what he said. She did not care.

"Percy! Percy, you did it! Percy!"

Bile rose in Athena's throat as a ten year old boy shoved his way through the crowd. Nico di Angelo was a child again. His dark human eyes scanned the crowd excitedly, falling on Athena in joy. No child had ever looked so happily upon her.

"We're human!" he cried joyfully, throwing himself at her. He stopped just short of her when he realized who…what stood behind her.

"Percy?" Nico's face turned ashen, the smile leaving his face and the hope, so newly restored, so long forgotten, died in his eyes. " _Percy."_

The little boy flung himself at the statue, a great sob tearing from his throat. His arms wound around the statue, pressing close as though Nico thought if he gave the cold unforgiving stone enough warmth it would relinquish their beloved prize.

" _Percy!"_

"Percy?" Little Katie Gardener.

Athena detachedly noticed how pretty the young girl was. Four years was a long time, and she had all but forgotten what her companions once looked like. Katie would be a most becoming woman one day. But now, her eyes were unnaturally large and frightened. Her slight body shook and she could not make herself enter the room.

Lee pushed his way passed her.

"Percy? Where's Percy?" By now, they realized something was wrong. Lee's usual bravo and sass was gone, and he met her eyes without the joy or excitement that Nico had. Lee took Katie by the hand and the pale girl gripped it tight. Lee walked into the room, his eyes trained on Athena as they walked up to her.

While Lee's gaze stayed firmly on her face, Katie's wandered to the sobbing Nico. Her face crumbled.

"Percy," she cried softly, pulling away from Lee to approach the man who had been both protector and brother. Lee's accusing gaze seared into Athena's conscious.

_I love you._

Athena fled before Maria and Dionysus could arrive.

* * *

The castle was a mess, but Athena would not go as far as to say it was in ruins. Most of the paintings and tapestries had been burnt. Glass and china coated the floor with their broken edges. The statues in the courtyard were rubble. The villagers took the stone Medusa back to Montauk with them, but were unable to separate Percy from the sobbing children. A moot point; Athena would not have let them take him anyway.

Clean up would take a while, but renovation was not impossible. Athena wandered the empty halls, her feet crunching the broken particles under her feet. Her face felt strange without the glasses. The world was too bright. Everything was quiet. No fires burned in the castle tonight. Her feet led her to her beloved library. The doors had been sealed shut; it had been her first concern when she saw the lights heading for her castle. She pried it open now, stepping inside the undisturbed place. She did not make it more then two steps before she stopped. The silence was deafening. In her mind she could hear laughter. Bright and joyful laughter.

_I read it, Athena, I read the sentence._

A book laid sprawled out on the table, the spine down. Athena warned Percy not to leave books like that. He had a hard time remembering. She should pick it up and close it properly, give the spine a rest least the binding break. But she could not move. She could not think.

She left the library.

There was no spot in all the castle that ghosts did not haunt her, and her feet lead her back to the study she fled hours before. There was a small fire glowing in the hearth there. Chiron sat at her desk, staring forlorn out her open window at the destroyed courtyard. Maria sat primly at the edge of a chair, Nico on her lap. Athena thought ten years of age was too old for such coddling, but green eyes laughed at her, pulling her into a bundle of blankets and pillows by the fire.  _Never too old._

Maria carded her fingers through Nico's hair. Her eyes were red, and they were trained on the meticulously reconfigured teacup at her side. Bianca. Even the reversal of the spell could not save Maria's eldest child. Nico's eyes were empty; he did not so much as twitch as Athena entered. Katie had curled into Lee's side and both of their eyes were red. Katie still cried softly. Dionysus tended the fire, sitting right next to the children. He reached out and poured tea from a long forgotten kettle and handed a warm cup to the crying girl.

Nobody looked at her as she walked inside. Percy stood where she left him, arm outstretched and lips parted. The fire crackled. Nobody said a word. The night passed unbearably. Nobody left the room. When finally dawn came, Maria gently shook Nico and laid him beside Katie and Lee to go make breakfast. Chiron followed.

Athena grabbed a cloak.

"Where are you going?"

It was the first time anyone had spoken to her since the night before. Dionysus did not look at her as he addressed her, tending to the fire instead.

"Into Montauk." Athena heard herself say, distant and hardly aware. "Sally Jackson will be wondering – "

"You gonna tell the boy's mother her only son is dead?"

The firelight flickered across the floor, brilliant oranges and yellows. Percy loved firelight. She wondered if it was because he never got that warmth at home. Had warmth and fire been a luxury to him?

"Yes."

Dionysus said no more, so Athena departed. Nobody tried to stop her. For the first time in four years, Athena stepped foot outside Mykene castle. She walked beyond the mangled gate (Percy had just fixed that fence, with a scowl and such cussing, holding unsanitary nails and screws in his teeth. He laughed when she told him that. As if his health was something to laugh at.)

Even after four long years of absence, Athena's feet still knew the way into Montauk. At her soft inquiry, a passing merchant pointed her towards Sally Jackson's abode. Her body felt heavier the closer she drew to the run-down farm house until she came to a complete stop outside a rusted fence. There was a heavy footprint in the dirt and Athena recognized the tread: Percy.

Percy ran through here yesterday, all anxious and fearful for his mother. Athena forced herself to carry on, though her legs felt like lead and each footstep resounded like thunder. The door opened before she could knock, flying open to reveal a haggard, thin woman in the doorway.

"Percy, I was so worried – " the woman cut off sharply when her eyes fell on Athena.

Athena's mouth was dry. She could only stare at the woman – at Percy's mother.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Sally asked wearily when Athena showed no sign of speaking.

"No," Athena said honestly, her heart constricting almost painfully. "I am Mistress Athena of Mykene."

Sally's eyes widened. Athena was not sure if she was disappointed or relieved that Percy did not share his mother's eyes. Sally's eyes were blue.

"May I come in?"

Sally stepped aside; Athena entered Percy's childhood home. It was small. Athena's entire study (the room Percy stood in, forever stolen in cold and stone) was almost larger.

"You don't look like the monster of Mykene," Sally said slowly, shrewd eyes scanning the woman before her.

"The spell was broken," Athena said, her eyes searching out the fireplace. She could not find it. It hurt her heart and she struggled to keep her face calm. "Four years ago, I was cursed by a witch. I had snakes for hair and a gaze that turned living creatures into stone. But it is broken now. Percy broke it. I am free from the curse that plagued my castle."

Sally seemed to process and accept this. "Broke it how? Where is my son Mistress of Mykene?"

There was fear and fierce protectiveness in her eyes. She looked like a starving lioness, thin and sickly but ready to fight to the death for love of her cub.

"Where is my son?" Her weak voice was a harsh sound that echoed in the small house. Athena stared at her, her mind oddly blank as she tried to find words, any words at all.

"Perhaps you should sit down."

Those simple words seemed to break the lady. Her body trembled and she bowed her head. "He's dead isn't he?" Her words were so soft Athena almost could not hear them. Sally's legs folded until she sat ungracefully on the dirty floor.

"My baby is dead, isn't he?" She looked up at Athena, tears in her eyes. A mother's intuition; Maria had known when Bianca passed as well. Athena wondered if she felt it. Could she feel Percy's absence, the lack of warmth and light?

"Yes." The word was torn from Athena's throat painfully.

"My baby's dead," Sally sobbed softly, her frail frame shaking. "My baby's dead."

Athena watched her break down. She did not know what to do. She should probably comfort the woman.  _He loved you dearly. He worried about you constantly. I should have let him go when he asked. I should never have kept him. He was not mine to keep. I am sorry your only child is dead._

_He loved me._

_I did not deserve it._

_Where is your fireplace?_

No words came from Athena's mouth. She could not seem to find them. Instead, she stood stiffly and impassively as Sally Jackson cried.

"Would you like to see him?" Athena finally asked. A broken nod accompanied Sally Jackson's great sobs.

Athena arranged for a carriage to take Sally Jackson up to Mykene, but did not depart with Percy's mother. She still had business in Montauk. It was late by the time she reached the village, her feet sore from the uneven tread of the road. That was well. Athena did not wish to run into anybody. The 'rediscovery' of the 'lost' Mistress of Mykene was almost more than she could bear. She walked through the near deserted village, feeling both foolish and endowed with purpose.

She paused at the blacksmiths, where a man lingered, his eyes distant and unfocused. She cleared her throat as she approached him and the large blacksmith stared down at her. He seemed resigned, and perhaps a little sad. The entire village took Percy's death hard.

"I am looking for two children, Thalia and her brother Jason." Athena addressed.

"Why?" The blacksmith asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at her.

"A favor for a friend," Athena said simply, and it took all her self control to force the last word out; casually, unfeeling. "I hear they need a home."

The large man continued to regard her. "You probably will find them at the abandoned house by the Ambrosia."

"Thank you," Athena said shortly, heading on her way. The house was easy enough to find. It was falling apart, broken timber and stone lying in shambles. Percy's fears for the children were not unfound then.

"Thalia, Jason?" Athena called, hovering outside the wreckage. "Do not be afraid children. I am a friend of Percy Jackson, he tells me you know him."

"Percy?!"

" _Shh!"_

Athena could make out two figures crouching in the skeleton of the house. Two pairs of wide eyes stared at her. It was unnerving, looking people in the eye after years of living behind a curtain. Athena fought the urge to close her eyes.

"I will not hurt you. Percy wants you two to have a nice warm home. I can offer you that."

"Why?"

The kids had crept closer. They were both thin and dirty. The girl looked to be around seven and the boy just barely out of infancy. He stared up at her with wide trusting eyes. His sister regarded her coldly.

"Because that's what Percy would want."

It was the simplest and most honest answer she could give. It seemed enough for Thalia. She carefully helped her brother navigate through the house until they stood before her.

"Percy?" The little boy asked excitedly, looking around as if he expected his older friend to step out of the shadows. Nobody told them then, of Percy Jackson's fate.

"I can take you to him," came Athena's stiff reply.

Chiron had a carriage waiting for her, Sally Jackson staring blankly in the back. She made no comment at the appearance of the children, she merely shuffled aside and held her arms out to the little ones. Jason happily crawled onto her lap and Thalia nestled into her side. The ride was silent, except for the occasional giggle from the small boy who thought the entire ordeal was rather like an adventure. A childish dream that would be shattered by the beautiful yet terrible statue in her study; Percy would hate that. He tried so hard to protect children, to encourage their dreams. And here she was ruining two more.

When finally they reached Mykene, Athena could not follow them inside. She could not witness their bitter reunion with Percy. She walked the ground instead. By instinct she found herself trekking through the forest until she came upon the lake. The usual joy and serenity that filled her was absent; instead a great pain sliced through her chest at the peaceful and tranquil sight.

Was this it then? Would everything that once gave her peace now only cause her pain? The curse had stolen her joy, but this fate seemed even crueler. She longed for the return of her curse, for the unfeeling silence of the castle and her old hardened heart. Surely feeling nothing was better than this.

Maria served dinner. Athena did not attend. She found herself in her study instead. A fire still burned in her fireplace, the soft glow illuminating the horrors within.

"I tried to warn you," Athena whispered, walking up to that great stone statue. "Nothing good ever transpires here. Mykene takes all that is good and fair in the world and corrupts it."

"This should not be your fate," she reached forward to trace his parted lips with her finger. "A most unbecoming end for such a blinding and searing soul; ironic for one so colorful and warm in life. You deserved the world, why did you stay here? What good could become of it?"

She remembered the lake. His head against her leg, every nerve in her body aligned and in tune with him. His smile, looking up at her with those eyes dark with desire. Desire? Desire for what? What could she ever give him but death and destruction?

"You needn't worry about your mother. She is distraught, but she is safe. Maria will take good care of her. And Thalia and Jason. I know you worried about them. I will keep them safe."

She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his cold stone ones. She closed her fingers around them, but he could not do that same. He would never hold her hand again. She squeezed, but her fingers only grew cold from the unfeeling stone.

"A shame isn't it?"

Athena whirled at the voice, dread and fury curling in her chest as she turned to regard the bright being behind her.

Circe, the malevolent witch of Montauk, smirked.

"He was a pretty one. He had a big heart; I had high hopes for him. Medusa desired him, but Medusa often desired that which she could not have so it is not surprising."

"Haven't you tormented me enough?" Athena asked lowly, eyeing the demon in hatred.

"You torment yourself," Circe deflected. "As did Medusa."

"She called you, you granted her wish to destroy my life. To destroy  _his_ life." Athena snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Circe shrugged, unrepentant.

"Medusa called me. It had been a while since a mortal called upon me. I was curious. Medusa was a great flatterer, and she would have made a fine apprentice one day. Shame, but at least she makes a pretty statue now hm?"

Circe smiled, a gross mockery of a comforting gesture. "But you are free now Athena. Congratulation. You found someone to melt that frozen heart of yours. Or, perhaps not. Perhaps the curse broke because somebody loved  _you,_ regardless of your own affection. Poor Percy Jackson! A pawn in the ever strategic game of the all wise Mistress of Mykene."

"Stop it."

"Even now you cannot deny it," Circe gave a cruel laugh, "even when your lover's turned to stone and sworn, with his last breath, his love for you, you cannot forsaken your pride. You need no curse to bind you, oh wise Mistress of Mykene, for you bind yourself."

"Bring him back," Athena demanded. "He did nothing to deserve this, bring him back."

"I am not a chancellor of death, for all the power I wield over this land," Circe declared. "I am no undertaker nor soul shepherd. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; there is no reclaiming that which death takes. I cannot bring Percy Jackson back, and even if I could, it would seem a fate too cruel to return him to you."

"Farewell, Mistress of Mykene, I only wish you have found what long you have sought."

Circe gave a bow and vanished in the dark.

Athena's heart beat painfully, each breath labored and great. There went her last chance, her last hope at salvaging this horror. Percy's hand was ice in her own. There was no warmth left in her body. The world was a blur, a haze of colorless, noiseless chaos. Somehow, she was downstairs, in the kitchen where the others gathered.

"Athena?" Chiron called softly, his voice gentle. Athena met his eyes, her composure as hard as the statue that once brought life and warmth to Mykene. At his mother's side, Nico's face contorted.

"Do you even care?"

"Nico – " Maria sharply tried to reign in her son, but Nico was not having any of that. He broke away from his mother and stood firmly in front of Athena, his arms crossed and eyes red.

"Do you even care that he's dead? You walk around the castle like you've always done, your head held high and proud, disappearing like you always do. You left the castle, you left  _him._ Your face is emotionless, don't you feel anything? He made this castle better, he made  _us_ better! He brought happiness, and joy, and  _life_ back into Mykene – " Nico sobbed now, dry tearless sobs.

At the table behind Nico, Lee glared at her, his arms wrapped around a limp Katie. Dionysus' judgmental gaze bore into hers. Chiron sadly gazed upon her as Maria shut her eyes. Thalia cried softly, holding her brother tightly against her. Jason sniffled softly, his young brain unable to comprehend what was happening. Sally Jackson was pale, and her hopeless eyes cut Athena the worst.

"He  _saved_ you, he  _died_ because of you,  _don't you even care at all?"_

"I do," Athena's voice was a whisper.

Nico laughed, an almost malicious bark.

Athena stared unseeingly at the fire. "I care. I feel. Too much. You don't understand. Percy Jackson was foolish. He was foolish, and naïve, and simple. Percy Jackson was fire, he blazed over everything until now I can't look at anything in this world anymore without seeing  _him._ Percy brought warmth, and light and yes life to Mykene. He burned through everything and claimed it as his own. I saw that fire fade from his eyes even as he fought to keep it burning. He fought to keep it burning long enough to tell me he loved me."

Her voice shook on the last word and it was like the flood gate had been broken. Her entire body shook, and her vision blurred as she struggled to breath.

"He loved me and I couldn't even find the words to say anything back. I could not tell him how ridiculous he was, that piling blankets by the fire is a hazard and shouldn't be endearing," her body shook, her words shaking, "or appreciate his joy in learning how to read, or his awful compassion towards everything that moved, those  _damn_ eyes that always were so expressive and bright and – "

Her breath was choppy and ragged – "And I couldn't say anything. I didn't say anything. And now he's cold and colorless and it's  _wrong._ It's  _wrong._ And I can't say anything, I can't tell him anything. You can't fall in love with someone in a few months, but I  _did."_

_"I did and he'll never know."_

At this last ragged cry, the proud and wise Mistress of Mykene crumbled to the floor, broken and defeated.


End file.
